Monday, October 25, 2010

Weight Gain

Before I get started on this one, I apologize to my dear blog followers (though few you are) for being so quiet over here the last few weeks. While I've been reading plenty, I'm assuming most of you don't want in-depth (or even basic) coverage on my student teachers' lesson plans. That being said, let's dive in.

October 4, 2010, Time Magazine, page 20:
0.5lb (Weight gain of freshman women with obese roommates)
2.5lb (Weight gain of freshman women with slim roommates)

There are a few ways to look at this...
1. The small weight gain with obese roommates is because they beat you to all the goodies in care packages your mom sends you.
2. The larger weight gain with slim roommates is because they don't even eat their own goodies from care packages. Instead they sneak the goodies into your care package pile and you eat double the goodies (nothing wrong with double homemade cookies!)

But my favorite way to look at this...
Only "Freshman 2.5?!?!?!" What's changed since I was in school? I would have killed for the "Freshman 2.5!"

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Superman (or Batman if you'd prefer)

Another great article for you: Dads are the 'Supermen' students need

If you know me at all, you know my feelings on the whole Chris Christie being "Superman" for the education system/NJ. I won't get into that in an attempt to save all of you from my what-could-be-pages-long diatribe about my job as a teacher.

Instead, I'm going to take the article one step further. Kids need a "Superman" that's real, down-to-earth, and truly super in some noteworthy way. Not the newest or most highly paid sports figure (though some of them are super in ways off the field), and not some video game hero who has become the product of some developer's late night dreams. Kids need a "Superman" who's tangible, a role model with whom they can interact, and actually mimic to become their own "Superman" at some point.

Kudos to those who make a difference in their job or anywhere else in this world, and do it out of the goodness of their heart, and not because of the public opinion it gives them.