Dude looks like a lady??? (or "Why I Love Fifth Grade)

My class theme is "rockstars" and each table group is made up of four kids. Each kid has a role- guitarist, drummer, bassist, piano player. It's just a classroom management thing. That way, I can say, all right, all the "guitarists" come pick up materials for your group. Or "bassists," start a table discussion with the "drummer." and so on... That way all the kids rotate through positions and they think they're hip and cool, etc... It is all based on Kagan principles.

Anyway, in introducing this to the kids, I showed them a powerpoint which introduced them to the instruments (guitar, bass, drums, piano). I also showed them some photos of famous bands so they could recognize the various instruments. The whole point of the exercise was to make the kids realize that people in bands have to work together, listen to each other, and work through their differences to be successful. The kids quickly picked up that, as a table group, they ALSO have to work together, listen to each other, and work through their differences to be successful. Sweet.

However, this seemingly simple exercise developed into a more complex conversation. I showed the kids pictures of bands that I thought were important: The Beatles, The Runaways, and Ben Folds Five (because they feature a pianist).

From this photo, the kids thought Joan Jett was a man (Joan Jett is the one in the long-sleeved red shirt).
After much discussion, they revealed that they felt this way because she wasn't "dressed slutty." So apparently a woman in long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and short hair can't play rock and roll. I pointed out that a lot of teachers have short hair and wear modest clothes. The kids pointed out that regular women could wear modest clothes, but rockstars should wear tight/revealing clothes, wear a lot of makeup, and show a lot of skin. This led to a deep conversation about body image and the role of women in media.

I love fifth grade.

Oldies but Goodies #1

Briana and I have taken to posting our old Portland pics on facebook, so I dug up this gem from youtube. It's a bunch of our old pics from 2006. Highlights include: OMSI, public transportation, and the zoo. Good times!

Augusten Burroughs

Augusten Burroughs, one of my favorite authors, came to speak at the Clark County Library a few weeks ago. He spoke for about an hour, answered questions, and was kind enough to sign books for his fans. I unexpectedly ran into my dear friends Deanna Rilling and Toni A., along with her husband, Scott. That was a nice bonus, and it was nice to have someone to sit with. I was also pleased to see that the 400 seat was PACKED with fans. See? Las Vegas isn't as culturally unaware as you all might think.

Girl in a Coma

On June 8th, Steve and I went to see the band Girl in a Coma play at Burt's Tiki Lounge in Salt Lake City. This band was amazing. The band is made up of two sisters, Phanie and Nina, and their friend Jenn, all from San Antonio. They met back when they were in junior high. What I really like about them is that they care about their MUSIC, not sex appeal. This band is a great model for young women, especially the young ladies of Girls Rock Vegas.

Their show was freaking amazing. Nina, the guitarist, played the guitar like a woman possessed. Also, they were really cool. After the show, they talked with fans and took photos, signed CDs and were generally really cool. While their opening band was playing, the band members of Girl in a Coma were even selling merch- totally down to Earth.

Anyway, please check out this band. They rock.

Grand Canyon!

Have I mentioned that I hiked in the Grand Canyon? Well, I did. And I survived. It was amazing and beautiful and I can't wait to go back after I get in better shape.
We also visited Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam.
I traveled with these awesome people from the Geographical Alliance of Nevada, led by Chris Ryan. This group was made up of teachers and university professors from both southern and northern Nevada. We learned a lot, traveled a lot, and had a great time.

July, July!

I say your uncle was a crooked French Canadian...


P.S.
Can you believe it's already July?!?

Clarification...

So perhaps I've been a little vague. Here's an update on my career situation:

• I am still teaching. I am moving to a different school and I will be teaching fifth grade.
• I didn't not lose my job- just voluntarily moved to a different school. At last count, there are 213 elementary schools in our district.

That's all.

Student Filmmaking

Gee, I'm sure glad I got an undergraduate degree in Media Arts from BYU. Some kind stranger has posted my TMA 285 project on YouTube!

This was created in a class where we formed a "film crew," wrote an original script, shot it on 16mm film, and edited it using Avid and ProTools- all in one semester. I had some awesome team members, including:
Kirsten Bales-Heder
Jason Conforto
Jonathon Dayton
Robert Fewkes
Todd Hamilton
Daniel Heder
Sarah Heder
Ryan James
Heather Rampton
Jana Schurig

Seriously though, I've been trying to find a copy of this for, like, the past five years. So thank you, kind stranger!

Let the purging begin!

As I'm closing one chapter of my career and preparing to begin a new chapter, I felt a little purging was in order. Nevermind that I have 13 giant Rubbermaid containers full of teacher junk. Nevermind that I own enough children's books to start a smalltown library (thanks to Scholastic, eBay, and Goodwill). Since purging junk and books takes a degree of organization that I can't muster at midnight, I decided to start small... just a little facebook purging.
It's not like I'm super snotty about facebook; I am "friends" with enough childhood friends and former coworkers to start a marching band. However, there are just some people that I don't care to be in contact with anymore. These are former coworkers that generally spread drama wherever they went and created a toxic work environment... for fun and sport. I just don't want these negative influences in my life anymore. So I blocked them.

...and I feel better already!


Note to self: #1 Task for tomorrow: tackle the 13 giant Rubbermaid containers.

Girls Rock Vegas... totally awesome week of camp!

Thanks to Denise Rosch and Channel 3 for visiting our camp and telling our story!

Aired June 12, 2009 on the 4:00pm news

I can't even begin to describe how amazing our first annual Girls Rock Vegas Summer Camp has been. The campers, counselors, and musicians worked so hard to make it a success! We are empowering girls, one chord at a time!

(I realize that sounds cheesy in general blog conversation, but that's our camp slogan.)

Heather = Toby (or, Free at Last!!!)

As I went to the office to return my classroom keys, a certain admin stopped what she was doing to exclaim, "I need to check you out and inspect your room!" even though the member of the office staff assigned to inspect classrooms had already done her job. That person explained that I was already checked out and that my room was fine. So the admin grabbed my checkout sheet and scrutinzed every last thing, even though I had gone above and beyond, creating my own typed and categorized inventory sheet for items in my classroom (this school has NEVER inventoried their materials, even though they have had millions of dollars of state and federal money poured into it when they became an empowerment school). I also provided receipts for everything I had purchased for my classroom in the last two years (totalling over $4,000).

"What about your whiteboards, sweetie?" she asked.

"I never received white boards from this school." I answered. During my first year of teaching at Vegas Verdes ES, I went to Home Depot, ordered a large piece of melamine tile board, which I had cut into 1' by 1' squares. Ghetto? Yes, but a much more economical solution than the Lakeshore Learning addiction that this school suffers from.

"Well, every classroom received whiteboards." she said.

"No, they did not." I wanted to tell her that some classrooms also received easels, smart boards, curtains, custom tiled floors and paint jobs, furniture, plastic trees, etc...

"I'm sure they didn't just grow feet and walk off," she said, trying to rally the support of the office full of other teachers and office staff. "Hmph. I guess next year we'll have to take an inventory and make a sign out sheet so these things don't just continue WALK OFF when people leave."

"Um, okay. Here are my keys."

I may be a perfectionist, I may be a little messy, and I may come to school with wet hair a few times a year... but I am NOT a thief. I haven't stolen so much as a paper clip from that freaking place. It infuriates me that Dr. G would try to imply that I stole from children, when in fact, she and her inner circle had been misappropriating funds for the last three years. I'd been harassed for the last few weeks of school, but trying to publicly call me out on whiteboard theft while I'm dropping off my keys? Unbelievable.

More "Fun and Exciting" things that I choose not to be a part of:

• Multi-age classrooms (1st grade - 3rd grade) where older gifted students are required to "teach" remedial students. Kids don't come to school to teach, they come to school to learn.
• Not making Adequate Yearly Progress for several years in a row due to a lack of structure and actual teaching.
• Spending tens of thousands of dollars to fly out personal friends and pay for their travel expenses, under the guise of hiring "consultants."
• General misuse of state and federal money.
• Teacher turnover rate of more than 50%
• and many, many more...
  

From our Union's website:
NRS 388.132 requires schools to provide a safe and respectful learning environment. This applies as much to students as it does to teachers. Teachers often discuss issues regarding parent and/or administrator threats, abuse, and harassment. There are statutes and school district polices to protect teachers from these types of actions. Because of the requirements of NRS 388.132, the school district promulgated Policy 5137 which provides that teachers have the right to work in an environment free from harassment, abuse, and threats.

Click here for some further insight into my journey at an "empowerment" school.
Michael and Toby's Greatest Moments

And just to show that we're not all fun and games, here is a little food for thought...

• An article on Teachers' Perspectives on Principals' Mistreatment
• Breaking the Silence: Overcoming the Problem of Principal Mistreatment of Teachers
• Bullying Bosses

And then I realized... (Episode 2)

... that a job is just a job. My problem was that I put too much of my heart and soul (and money) into a job where I wasn't appreciated. I am really hurt because I gave that place 100% of myself for the last two years, and now that I'm leaving, I feel like Toby, from "The Office."

Heather = Toby.
Here are some of the things I "choose to be":

• I choose to frame my instruction from state and district standards, use district-adopted textbooks and programs, and use assessment to drive my instruction.
• I choose to use school funds wisely and honestly in a manner that benefits students.
• I choose to give all students the instruction that they need. Differentiation is NOT discrimination.

At least Toby got a party and a Michael Scott parody song when he left. All I got was some nasty emails.

Class Photos

I will be removing these later today, as I don't really think its a wise idea to post a photo of my students online. However, I need these pics for our class yearbook, and I tried to email them to my work email, which had already exceeded its whopping 20mb capacity.

Dude, DON'T buy a Dell...

Unless you want to spend 4.5 hours on the phone with tech support regarding a brand new laptop that sounds like a lawn mower, has 2 USB ports that won't work, and won't accept any external hard drives. Seriously, the ear-piercing sounds coming from the fan are horrid enough to hear ACROSS the house, and my dog is terrified of them- she is currently hiding under a chair.

... and then I realized (Episode 1)

I spent most of today driving to and from St. George because I had to pick up some equipment for Girls Rock Camp. The night before, I made a super awesome iTunes playlist so I'd have some sweet tunes to blast. I was really looking forward to driving for 5 hours and singing along (poorly) at the top of my lungs. It was also nice to be have some time to drive fast and clear my head.

You know, there was even a time when I thought it would be pretty sweet to be a big rig driver. It sounded like a lucrative summer job as well as a fun and exciting way to explore America's extensive highway system.

HOWEVER...
#1: My car is not as rock steady as it used to be. I can barely go over 65 mph before it feels (and sounds) like it might explode. Also, my brake light is constantly on and I can't figure out why. And when I put my foot on the gas, a scary gurgling/farting sound comes from under the hood. This can't be good.
#2: Semi trucks. For some reason, when they pull alongside me, I have this overwhelming urge to drive into them, like there is some kind of magnetic force drawing my car into the underbelly of the semi. I hate when that happens.
#3. Wind that blows my Corolla all around the road like a wadded up tissue on an air hockey table.
... and then I realized that I really just enjoy air conditioning and listening to loud music.

On a positive note, this was one of the first times I went on a solo road trip with an iPod. How did we travel without iPods? It seems like so long ago that I used to drive between Provo and Vegas with a portable CD player and, like, 900 burned CDs. It was awesome to just set up my playlist and let it go without having to fiddle with anything audio related for the entire trip. I feel way less like I'm going to veer off the road to my death.

Where the passengers change, they don't change anything...

Oh Ben Folds, how do you always know exactly what I need to hear???

Fred sits alone at his desk in the dark
There's an awkward young shadow that waits in the hall
He's cleared all his things and he's put them in boxes
Things that remind him: 'Life has been good'
Twenty-five years
He's worked at the paper
A man's here to take him downstairs
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
There was no party, there were no songs
'Cause today's just a day like the day that he started
No one is left here that knows his first name
And life barrels on like a runaway train
Where the passengers change
They don't change anything
You get off; someone else can get on
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
Streetlight shines through the shades
Casting lines on the floor, and lines on his face
He reflects on the day
Fred gets his paints out and goes to the basement
Projecting some slides onto a plain white
Canvas and traces it
Fills in the spaces
He turns off the slides, and it doesn't look right
Yeah, and all of these bastards
Have taken his place
He's forgotten but not yet gone
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time

They're the Girls of DC...

...and they are definitely ready to rock!

Here's the awesome camp song from Girls Rock DC. I hope they won't mind me posting it here because it is a totally amazing song that summarizes what I want our girls to take away from camp. Go DC! If all goes as planned, I'll be going to volunteer at their camp later this summer. I can't wait to learn from them!

T-shirts available soon!

Thanks to the very talented Sarah (at www.sarahmarie.com), these awesome t-shirts will be available soon from Girls Rock Vegas. What do you think?

OOOOOOO eeeeeeee OOOOOOOO...

I look just like Buddy Holly...

This will always be my favorite music video ever.

Oh, the Mayflower...

Confession

I've had my pink Motorola razor for three years now. Well, that's not entirely true. My current phone was a replacement for the one I mysteriously lost in the Vegas Verdes parking lot one morning before work. Embarrassingly, the default ringtone was the theme song from "M*A*S*H," and the wallpaper was this hot pic of Alan Alda:

Honestly, I was more worried that someone might find that phone and track it back to me. I just really like M*A*S*H, okay?

Anyway, I confess that I've been untrue to my pink razor- I've been contemplating an upgrade to an iPhone; those dang apps are so appealing!!! I even went so far as to download an AT&T checklist for switching wireless carriers. 

But every time I think about going through with it, I think about how much I really do like the pink razor. Its so adorable how it desperately tries to keep up with the texting prowess of my friends' fancy qwerty keyboard phones. It even remembers weird random words that I text and it spits them out as I clumsily maneuver the keys. I love my ringtones, the Barbie-pink color, and I even love how the battery falls out of the phone every time I drop it (even on carpet).

Why fix it if it ain't broken?

Our first hate mail!

Today is a milestone because Girls Rock Vegas has just gotten our very first hate mail! I've taken the liberty of highlighting the mistakes in red and making a few corrections, just like I would do for my students.

you go to the bar and you have Lady's night(.) of course you drink free, an next stop is one of the many Lady's only work out areas, and then off to the "friend of the court(--) a place that takes all the husband(')s monie, and now a place for Lady's to play instruments together so they fell empowered.
My daughter plays guitar(.) she think people like you make woman look weak and I agrey(.)
Everyone has issues(.) get over it(.)
And I love woman(.) have  a wife an 3 daughters(.) thay are all just fine so please dont tell me I have a chip on my sholder.

No dude, I wouldn't worry about having a chip on your shoulder. I would, however, worry about your lack of writing skills. Seriously, I teach third grade and my students hand in better work than this. 

I think people who write nasty hater emails at 7am with multiple spelling and grammatical errors look weak.

Misogynist City Employee

Yesterday afternoon, we went down to the City of Las Vegas Financial and Business office on 400 Stewart Street in downtown Las Vegas to inquire about getting a business permit for Girls Rock Vegas. I explained that Girls Rock Vegas is just a 5-day summer camp for girls, ages 9-17.

When I expressed frustration about the immense cost of filing fees (nearly $1,000), this was the Business License Technician (ie: pinchy-faced clerk)'s sarcastic response:

"Why don't you just have a little bake sale or something?"

Really? REALLY? A "little bake sale"? Would he have had that same response to a motorcycle enthusiast club or a retail porn business? Probably not.

Bastard.

Pleeeeease help us out!

Hello friends! Yes, I'm posting about Girls Rock Vegas Camp again. We found a donor who is willing to match whatever funds we generate in the next week. So whatever money we generate, they will double it! Even small donations, like $5 or $10 will help. Every dollar we generate is going right back into the hands of girls who need the gift of ROCK AND ROLL. 

Please help!!!

This is a fundraising video from the Portland camp. You can help end rocklessness in here in Vegas with a small donation of $5 or $10 by clicking on our safe & secure Paypal link. Every dollar makes a difference!

Girls Rock Vegas

Please share the goodness of Girls Rock Vegas! Right-click and "save as" on this image, and please share it with the world! You can post it on myspace, facebook, your own blog, or you can even print it and hand it out to your peeps. Let's spread the word about Girls Rock Vegas!

Planet Percussion!

This is a video by Howard Agster, uploaded by my brother Dale. This was shot at Planet Percussion, the store he and my father owned until my father passed away. They manufactured percussion mallets and accessories. Also, as evidenced in this video, all the cool kids hung out here to play tunes. 

Girls Rock Vegas stuff... just what you all wanted

We're going to put these images on 1" buttons. We've heard that all the cool kids are wearing them these days to advertise things they like. Of course, we'll just get by with these logos for now. My dear friend Sarah will likely be doing some design work for us in the new future. You can visit her site at www.sarahmarie.com

What do you think of our modified logos? Which one is your favorite?

Maybe it's time for a move...

The guy who owns the house next door is renting it out to a giant family. That's fine. He is also renting out the detached garage of that house to another large family. There is no plumbing in that garage, by the way. He is also renting out the toolshed in the backyard to another large family. That's right. A toolshed, like, the kind you buy for $300 at Costco. There are nearly twenty people living next door, approximately fifteen of which are living in structures that are not zoned for human inhabitance. (Instead of ski equipment and dusty boxes, imagine a family of five living in here. This is what's going on next door.)

This guy, who I've gathered from the Clark County Real Property Records is named Mr. F****, was blocking my driveway this morning. I asked him to move his truck. He refused. He said he watches my house every day and no one ever uses our driveway. Really? Really?!? He went on to say that he knows every way in and out of my house because he already checked it out. He also said that he would get into my house when I least expect it to teach me a lesson I won't walk away from. Nice!

With a bit of sleuthing, I've discovered that Mr. F owns a construction business (the name and info of said construction business is plastered all over the giant truck blocking my driveway). It turns out that most of the able-bodied men living next door work for Mr. F's construction business as day laborers. I've seen him pick them up in his truck (they ride in the back, of course) early in the morning when I'm leaving for work. I've also seen Mr. F pick up other people standing on the corner of the Star Nursery, presumably for day labor jobs.

So Mr. F is, like, one step above being a human trafficker. According to the Clark County Real Property Records, Mr. F lives in a $900,000 house off Decatur and the 215, while his workers live in a toolshed. How is this legal?

Greedy, ill-mannered bastard. And a bad neighbor, to boot.

Girls Rock Vegas- a summer camp for girls

Please visit the site for www.girlsrockvegas.blogspot.com

 This project has been my heart and soul for the last few months. The other site has all of the information about the summer camp, but here I feel comfortable telling you how strongly I believe in this cause. This camp will surely benefit young women. I know what it feels like to be empowered through music and I want to give this gift to other young women. I have started this camp, along with some dedicated colleagues, and I am working like crazy to get it off the ground. 

Please consider donating through our paypal button- even just a few dollars will help. We are trying to buy/rent instruments, pay for food, etc... Every dollar will go directly to students. 

If you know a girl ages 9-17 that would be interested in coming to camp, the application can be found on our site. Or contact us if you would be interesting in volunteering or donating goods/services.

Thanks!

Love, H

Valentine Weekend

After a fast and furious Valentine's party with my students, I thought the weekend festivities were over. Luckily, I was wrong. This holiday weekend included:

• Coraline in 3D
  
• The Himalayan
  
• Metro Pizza
  
• Pin Kaow
  
• Warhol Exhibit at the Bellagio Fine Arts Gallery
  
• Howl's Moving Castle
  
• and most importantly, the best boyfriend ever =)
  

If you're not into fake sword fights
Pointy slippers and green wool tights
Take a tip from a knight who knows
Free Credit Report dot com, let's go!

2008 Review

Kristine tagged me on a post about "Top 10 Goals for 2009." I didn't feel right about doing that tag without first reviewing the great things that happened in 2008. Sure, the economy may be falling apart, I'm financially supporting my unemployed mother who refuses healthcare, and I still make less money than a garbage man... however, I refuse to believe that 2008 was completely devoid of positive memories. Please humor my self-indulgent recap of 2008.

• Thanks to the support of Christy Keeler, Ph.D., I presented for the first time at two national academic conferences: NECC (National Educational Computing Convention), and NCSS (National Council for Social Studies).
• My students won first place in the Southern Nevada Computer-Using Educators Multimedia Contest with their short film about gravity.
• I spent a week in Washington D.C. and Colonial Williamsburg as part of the Teaching American History Grant.
• Also this summer, I attended the week long training for "We The People" at Sierra Nevada College at Lake Tahoe. We learned about ways to teach elementary students about the Constitution.
• I spent a lot of time in Utah this year.
• Steve and I visited with Amie and Diego and their family in Florida.
• I paid off one of my credit cards!!! One down... more to go....
• I finally bought a Wii. Gotta love Dr. Mario.
• I actually put up a Christmas tree, lights, and holiday decorations at my house for the first time in several years.

See? 2008 wasn't a complete downer after all.

I'm super excited about my third grade students' "flat" travels... so far we've been to California and Mexico, and we have many more stateside and international destinations coming up! To check up where my "flat" students have been, click here! 

Really, go ahead and click on it... it's not spam or a weird link. I promise.

This one is my Dad playing vibes and percussion in the orchestra for a weekly syndicated radio show. Again, I'm guessing that this video is from 1992-1993. This video is courtesy of my brother, Dale. 

My Dad used to bring me to these rehearsals and recordings so I could see professional musicians play their instruments- he hoped it would help me select an instrument to play myself. My Dad was so supportive about anything I wanted to do or learn. In this particular video, my mom and I are standing outside the window watching him play. 

This video is my Dad playing timpani in an orchestra- perhaps the old Nevada Philharmonic? I'm not 100% sure. From what I can tell, they are rehearsing at Ham Hall at UNLV. I'm also not sure of the exact date, but I think it's from 1992-1993. Again, this video is courtesy of my awesome brother, Dale.

I miss him.

This is a video of my Dad and his friend, Howard, after they just finished playing the "76 Trombones + 4" concert. It's an annual event here in Las Vegas. I'm not sure what year this video is from, but I'm guessing the early 1990's.

Video courtesy of my brother, Dale. =)

For more information on the Flat Stanley project, visit my class blog at:

www.ramptonsrockstars0809.blogspot.com

My class is doing the Flat Stanley project again this year! We would LOVE it if you would help us by hosting one of my "flat" students. I can deliver the Flat Stanleys in person to those of you in Vegas, or I can send them out via snail mail to those of you who are in more exotic locales. All you have to do is take digital photos of the Flat Stanley in front of landmarks or doing exciting things in your hometown. Then, email me the photos and send the Flat Stanley back in the prepaid return envelope. If you like, you can also send back souveneirs (postcards, newspapers, etc...) that are significant to your location.

photos courtesy of www.flatstanley.com

Then, my students are going to use YOUR photos as primary source documents as they research your home city/state/country. The students will write a script and use your photos to make a documentary!

For more information on the Flat Stanley project, visit http://www.flatstanley.com/ There are lots of examples and fun photos right there! The purpose of the project is to allow my third grade students to explore the world beyond our classroom walls.

Anyway, if you or someone you know would be interested in hosting a Flat Stanley, please let me know! Contact me via facebook/comments/phone calls/email/etc... My email address is my first name DOT my last name at gmail.

I saw this on Bill's blog and couldn't help myself.

How BYU are you?
77 questions.
[X] You have been kissed at lease once
[_] Your first kiss was on campus
[X] You've had a boyfriend/girlfriend
[X] You lived in the dorms your freshman year
[X] You went to Homecoming or Preference
[X] You hiked the Y
[_] You've taken a social dance class
[_] You regularly attended FHE for at least a semester (Still do, even.)
[_] You've participated in Choose to Give
[X] You've been to Liberty Square for a party at least once
[X] You've driven around south of campus for at least 20 minutes trying to find a parking spot
[X] You know the cougar fight song
[X] You've crossed the crosswalk without using the flags or biked through a red light
[X] You've been to Friday Night Live
[X] You've performed or witnessed an act that made it onto Police Beat
[X] You've been on a "date" to the bell tower or duck pond 
[X] You've been to the Bean Museum for FHE
[X] You've been to Divine Comedy
[X] You've been to International Cinema
[_] You are engaged
[_] You are married
[_] ...in the temple
[X] You were previously engaged/married
[_] You have kids or are expecting kids
[X] Your birth parents are still married
[_] ...in the temple
[X] You have at least three siblings
[X] You've taken a marriage prep or mission prep class
[X] You've taken at least one religion class that is not based on the scriptures
[X] You have slept on a couch in a restroom
[X] You have been to the BYU Creamery
[X] You have been in one of the BYU choirs
[_] You've been on a date to Fat Cats (I don't think this place existed back when I was a BYU student)
[_] You have read Twilight
[_] ...book 2
[_] ...book 3
[_] ...book 4
[X] ...seen the movie (peer pressure from coworkers)
[_] ...more than once
[_] You've waited in line at the Bookstore for the Harry Potter or Twilight book premiere
[X] You have seen The Singles Ward or Sons of Provo
[X] You have walked out of a movie you found morally reprehensible
[X] You know where the "chastity line" is
[X] You can finish the phrase "Nothing good happens after ______"
[X] You read the Daily Universe at least 3x a week (I used to work there!)
[_] ...and it's the only newspaper you read
[X] You've personally known someone who was reported to the Honor Code Office
[_] You've participated in or watched a Mr. BYU contest
[_] You've received personal revelation that he/she is "the one" 
[_] ...and told him/her about your revelation 
[_] ...and then they rejected you 
[X] You've been to the Nickelcade (Preference '99, baby!)
[X] You've been to Classic Skating
[X] You've ignored your parents' phone calls for at least 3 days
[X] ...and then they called the University Police (OMG- how did you know?!?!?!?! I thought I was the only one who had this happen!!!!!!)
[X] You've been pulled over by the University Police
[X] You watch The Office religiously (ugh. I didn't know this was a BYU thing.)
[_] You mostly wear jeans and t-shirts or plain fitted shirts
[_] You own at least 3 things from American Eagle or Hollister
[X] Your sacrament meeting is a fashion show/scam session
[X] You've been on a date to the Provo River

You've kissed in a...
[X] ...campus parking lot
[X] ...Provo Canyon or Squaw Peak
[X] ...on temple grounds
[X] ...on a couch as soon as your roommates left the room
[X] You think UVU is not a real university
[_] You hate U of U with a passion

FOR GIRLS (don't answer if you're a guy)
[X] You own knee-length shorts
[X] You regularly wear camisoles/undershirts for modesty reasons
[_] You are a MFHD, RMYL, Elementary Education, or Exercise Science Major
[X] Your major crush ended up dating a MFHD, RMYL, Elementary Education, or Exercise Science major
[X] You have had at least one roommate who is in hair or dental school
[_] You own The Italian Job or The Princess Bride 
[_] You wear makeup at least 3x a week
[_] You do something with your hair (other than brush it/ponytail) at least 3x a week
[X] You went or plan on going on a mission
[_] ...because you couldn't get married (What an insulting question!)


FOR GUYS (don't answer if you're a girl)
[_] You shave every (or almost every) morning
[_] You know when your hair is "too long"
[_] You know what the "divide by 2 and add 7" dating rule is
[_] ...and you follow it 
[_] You've dated freshmen girls as a RM
[_] ...when you already knew better
[_] You've used the phrase "On my mission..." to a girl 
[_] At least 3 girls have baked cookies or meals for you
[_] You went or plan on going on a mission
[_] ...because you wanted to get married

TOTAL: 40

A: 68-77
B: 60-67
C: 53-66
D: 45-52
F: 44 or below

Thank goodness I got a "D." I was starting to get worried. I can tag people, right? Of course I can. So I'm tagging any of y'all who went to BYU. Have fun!!!

I can repost some tidbits from a previous blog entry, right? Of course I can... especially since the blog entry was from over two years ago and, well, it's pretty much awesome. 

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the documentary, Sherman's March by Ross McElwee. This film started out as a doc about General Sherman's march through the south during the Civil War, but ended up with the filmmaker pretty much just using his camera to meet chicks.

“I spent the next few days with Cam and his friends. They seem to spend a lot of time collecting and trading plastic animals, like the kind you used get in cereal boxes, except larger. I never really understood what it was all about.”

“I’ve come to the end of my journey with no car, no money, and only one roll of film. What’s worse is that I don’t seem to have a real life anymore. My real life has fallen into the crack between myself and my film. I begin to feel paralyzed by these speculations, when suddenly, a news item on the radio snaps me out of my stupor: my old nemesis, Burt Reynolds, is back in
town... and I decided that this time, I have to find him and film him.”

“For a long time I’ve had this notion that love was possible, I mean, romantic love. You know, two people falling deeply in love with each other and somehow managing to stay together for more than two weeks.”

“Having two large empty beds is twice as depressing as having one large empty bed.”

Thank to Netflix, I happened upon a darling film that embodies an overwhelmingly large amount of things that I hold dear. Here's the summary, courtesy of IMDB:
Michael has written a scholarly book on the revolutionary war. He has sold the film rights. The arrival of the film crew seriously disrupts him as actors want to change their characters, directors want to re-stage battles, and he becomes very infatuated with Faith who will play the female lead in the movie. At the same time, he is fighting with his crazy mother who thinks the Devil lives in her kitchen, and his girlfriend who he wants to live with, but does not want to marry.

Here's the shortlist of my interests that were oddly all included in this film:

• Alan Alda, my "#1 old man crush"
  
• The Korean War 
• Faults of historical accuracy (or inaccuracy) in filmmaking
  
• Media ethics
  
• A reflective look at filmmaking process
• Pursuing a doctoral degree at prestigious university
  
• Colonial America and the human stories behind the Revolutionary War
  
• Feeling guilty about aging parents who become increasingly demanding
  
• John C. McGinley pole-vaulting and being very "un-Dr. Cox"
  
• Lilian Gish
  
• Lynne Thigpen (yes, from "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?"
• Dealing with a romantic relationship where one partner is unable to make even the slightest effort towards lasting commitment (ie: men who cringe at the mere mention of the word proposal, even in other contexts)

I splurged and bought one of these:

All I can say is WOW. These four inches of memory foam made such a huge difference! It's not like I was having trouble sleeping in the first place, though. Anyway, I stayed in some fancy schmancy hotels this summer in Washington D.C. that had were sporting these memory-foam mattresses and I've been pining for a memory-foam-induced coma ever since. Love it!

I stole this video from B. Sorry, B- I'm always stealing stuff from your blog.
Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Some of the things I've been looking forward to have come and passed in the last few weeks, chiefly the election, and also the second of two sessions I copresented with Dr. Keeler at national academic conferences. So let's recap:

1. I got to dress up as Betsy Ross for Halloween with my third graders. They have been learning about Colonial America, and some of them have been creating a virtual museum about colonial clothing. They learned enough about colonial clothing to ask me questions about my colonial underwear. Oh my. I'm glad to see that my students are actively applying their knowledge to real-world situations. =)

2. Obama won. I was looking forward to staying up all night watching the election results roll in, eagerly anticipating the inevitable sleepy Dan Rather-ish commentary of the "if a frog had sidepockets" variety.

3. Conference #1, the National Educational Computing Conference in San Antionio. We presented on Project-Based Learning from Kindergarten to College. Read more here! Seriously, it's interesting, official, and this link makes me sound smart.

4. Conference #2, Dr. Keeler and I presented Technology-Based PBL (project-based learning) for the Young Learner. This was presented at the National Council for Social Studies annual conference in Houston. Click here for our PowerPoint presentation, audio from our presentation, and pertinent links. I really liked this presentation because it showed off my students' hard work.

While I enjoyed everyone's fabulous Halloween photos with their adorable children, I feel sad that I don't have anything likewise to share. I didn't have the heart to dress Cocoa up this year (see Wendy?), but I did get dressed up with my fellow third grade teachers at school. We are currently teaching our students about symbols of the United States, the election, and colonial America. So we had Uncle Sam, George W. Bush, Hillary, and Betsy Ross. Who knew that my Nauvoo dress would come in handy as such a versatile costume? (Thanks, Sister Hatfield!!!)

Keeping with the patriotic theme, I hope that everyone makes it out to vote today!!! I am so grateful to live in a country where we can have a voice and make a choice. It brought tears to my eyes to see my third grade grade students, who come from a very low socioeconomic area, actively research the candidates and make an informed choice about who they support. These young kids are so excited about democracy, about voting, and about making a difference in their community. 

If you want to have a heartwarming experience, click here to view my school's patriotic morning ceremonies. I'm a little partial to the third grade video from September 26th and the fifth grade video from September 12th. =)

In this time of introspection,

On the eve of my election,

I say to my reflection,

"God please spare me more rejection."

- Ben Folds, Army

For the last 10 years or so, I've chosen the end of October as a time to reevaluate the direction in which my life is heading. I know that most people do this on New Years, but I feel like that's the easy way out because everyone knows that New Years' Resolutions are just a token effort to feel better about ones' self after eating ones' own weight in holiday food. =)

So the biggest change in my life is that I find myself newly single, after ending a 10 month, largely long-distance, relationship with a very special person. Sure, it's easy to wallow in a puddle of "what if's." At this point, however, I think the healthiest thing would be to just suck it up, consider what I learned, and focus on the future. This is the strategy that I usually rely on after a devastating disappointment, and so far it's proven well.

To my friends with school-age children, fellow teachers, and people who enjoy a custom word search,

This is the most amazing site in the whole world. Really. I will never have to give (or grade) another spelling test as long as I live! Not only does it have a dozen custom spelling games, but it gives an individualized test for each kid, reads each word AND uses it in a sentence! And it reads it in a HUMAN voice, not a creepy computer voice. Kids can take the test at their own pace with less testing anxiety. When the kids are done with the test, they print out a certificate with their score and which words they missed! This is truly amazing, people.

... and it's free!!!

Maybe life isn't so bad after all. Over a year ago, Briana and I toyed with the idea of starting a "good things" blog, where we would each share one thing that made us happy. We planned on doing this every week so we would get in the habit of focusing on positive things. Well, like many good ideas, this never came to fruition.

So I'm going to start it now by listing some lovely things from this week:

To usher in fall, I made pumpkin pie... from scratch. Baking pumpkin pie always reminds me of my dad's Thanksgiving tradition of baking 900 kinds of pies, all from scratch. The aroma of pumpkin pie baking in the oven makes me feel like my dad is still here.

At the neighborhood grocery store tonight, I was greeted by a little girl who was in my class last year. She ran up to me with open arms, gave me a huge hug, and shouted, "Maestra!" ("maestra" = "teacher" in Spanish).

I realize this is kind of lame, but I'm going to share it anyway. I very rarely watch Futurama. But tonight, the one time I turned it on in months, it just happened to be my favorite episode (In case you were wondering, it was the one where Lela met her long-lost parents. Hey- I said it was lame).

On facebook, I had an instant message discussion with one of my classmates from BYU. I was really happy to hear that he is gainfully and happily employed in broadcasting. It always makes me smile when I hear that my broadcasting/film school classmates are actually employed in our field! However, there was always something special about this particular classmate. He is a very talented journalist, but in college, he proved to also be humble, kind, and genuinely good. There's just something awesome about knowing that good things really do happen to good people. 

I can't believe six weeks of school are already over! If this were college, it'd be midterm time. I am so happy with my (gigantic) class. The kids have really learned our routines and procedures and they are learning so much. I love third grade. The kids are still sweet and somewhat innocent, but they are mature enough to handle joking around. 

Please click here for a lovely blog entry from my dear friend, Blair. This made my day and could quite possibly make your day, too.

Love, H

I got this forwarded email from a well-intentioned source who meant no harm. This created the following exchange:
****************************************************
RE: Photography shoot for the LDS Curriculum Department

Dear Talent File Participant,
I apologize for the extreme tardiness of this request. I have been given the assignment to find "non-Caucasian" families and singles to attend a photo shoot this Sunday, September 28th. It was my desire to glean help from the surrounding wards, thereby not taxing our talent pool yet again, with requests for ethnicities. However, the members in that area have not responded to the call, and I am now desperate for help!
Would you, or ANYONE you know, be willing to attend this small photo shoot for Church Curriculum? (By "ethnic," at this point, we'd be grateful to have anyone with a dark tan!)
Here is the information I have available:
Project: Photographs for the new "Gospel Principles" manual to be released in 2010.
Setting: A Ward Sacrament Meeting
Needed: Ethnic Minorities (non-Caucasian) who can follow directions in English. Singles are welcome! Families are welcome! All children need to be accompanied by at least one parent.
Location: LDS Chapel located at 1925 Gunderson Lane, Holladay, UT
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Time: Please arrive between 3:30 – 3:45pm. (No later than 3:45pm.)
Duration: Until about 5:00pm.
********************************************************

This is the reply I sent:
Hello. I just received a forwarded email requesting "ethnic" members for a photo shoot. As a person of color, I find the manner of this request quite insensitive. For your future reference, next time you put out an all-call for "ethnic minorities," please don't say "by 'ethnic,' at this point, we'd be grateful to have anyone with a dark tan!"
Also, my skin may be dark, but I am able to "follow directions in English." I followed them just fine during my undergrad studies at BYU and during my graduate work. Your assumption that members of the church with dark skin are unable to follow rudimentary directions in English is quite offensive. I would have hoped that the general population of our church would be more enlightened, if not especially the leadership and those working for church media.
Please be more sensitive- or at least less openly ignorant- when making future requests.
********************************************************
They responded quickly, but CC'd to everyone in the whole world. Basically, they told me that they are "sorry I feel this way."
Here is their response:

I am sorry that you took offense where none was intended. Many "ethnic minorities" come from other countries. If I were in China, I would not be able to follow directions in Mandarin, and that would rule me out. [If you were in China, the directions would be given in Mandarin AND English because that's how ignorant Americans demand everything.]
Again, no offense was intended, nor have I received any feedback from anyone but you that this language was offensive. [clearly, because people with dark skin apparently can't read English]

**********************************************************

You know, offense that isn't intended is just as ugly and often more insidious. So basically, they don't MEAN to be ignorant, but they're going to be anyway.

If they are really having such a hard time finding "ethnic" people, perhaps they could just use Caucasian people and put them in blackface, since they already did that in "Testaments." That's right. Instead of finding an actual "ethnic" person to play the lead role, they put the lovely (and Caucasian) Joy Gardner into blackface for the role... or would the more correct term be "brownface"?

SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE!!!

I really do want to know how many people were in your elementary school classes!

Thank you Shan & Amanda, for your feedback. =)

You should all be pleased to know that I successfully got my Fulbright application turned in before the deadline this past Friday, thanks to the following people:

•  Dr. Keeler- amazing recommendation letter writer and the fastest email responder ever
  
•  Dr. G, Mrs. B, and Mr. S- letter writers extraordinaire 
•  Briana- morale booster, proof reader, and finder of missing verbs
  
•  Steve- essay shaper, proof reader, and catcher of words like "Cocoa-Cola" (Seriously, if it wasn't for Steve, I would have turned in a curriculum vitae that proudly stated that I was a Cocoa-Cola Scholar.)

Thank you, guys!!!

Not that I'm counting, but this...

is starting to feel an awfully lot like this:

I have a relatively large class, especially for third grade. I'm currently at 29 students (and counting!), and I have nearly 40 students in my reading intervention group. Did I mention yet that I only have 32 desks? We are seriously running out of my room, and thanks to the district hiring freeze, we have no hope of getting any more teachers (we have four teachers doing the work of six teachers). Somehow I lucked out and actually have a REAL classroom in the actual school building; the other third grade teachers are teaching in tiny portable trailers where there used to be basketball courts.

I am really dumbfounded. What happened to CLASS SIZE REDUCTION? According to one of my favorite pieces of Nevada Legislation, third grade is supposed to be capped at 21 students. The only loophole exists in a team teaching situation, where two teachers share a maximum of 38 students. This is not the situation in my school. 

I am honestly trying to remember how many kids were in my class back when I was a third grader, and I cannot remember. So, just for perspective, how many kids were in your classes when you were in elementary school?  

These are a few of my favorite things...

(about Steve)

Steve:

 ... loves his family.

... has always been 100% honest with me.

... works so hard and has accomplished so much academically and professionally.

... stands up for what he believes in with undying resolution (even though sometimes this drives me crazy).

... gives his all working for the causes he supports.

... enjoys a flick at the Tower just as much as I do.

... is looking forward to Sundance.

... takes me on dates to the State Capitol building.

... has sent me flowers "just because."

... fixed the door handle on my car.

... spends time with my wonderful friends and family.

... loves art museums.

... reads stories to my elementary school kids and did an AWESOME "Flat Stanley" for my class.

... supports all of my academic and professional endeavors.