In My Own Little Corner

"In my own little corner in my own little chair
I can be whatever I want to be.
On the wings of my fancy I can fly anywhere
and the world will open its arms to me.
I'm a young Norwegian princess or a milkmaid
I'm the greatest prima donna in Milan
I'm an heiress who has always had her silk made
By her own flock of silkworms in Japan
I'm a girl men go mad for love's a game I can play with
cool and confident kind of air.
Just as long as I stay in my own little corner
All alone in my own little chair.
I can be whatever I want to be.
I'm a slave from Calcutta I'm a queen in Peru.
I'm a mermaid dancing upon the sea
I'm a huntress on an African safari.. it's a dangerous type of sport and yet it's fun
In the night I sally forth to seek my quarry
And I find I forgot to bring my gun.
I am lost in the jungle all alone and unarmed when I meet a lioness in her lair
Then I'm glad to be back in my own little corner,
All alone in my own little chair."

Carl Rogers

“If we value independence, if we are disturbed by the growing conformity of knowledge, of values, of attitudes, which our present system induces, then we may wish to set up conditions of learning which make for uniqueness, for self-direction, and for self-initiated learning.”

What will it take to provide a quality public education in America? (3 concrete points)

I suppose it would be too easy to say that it would take God to provide a quality public education in America, but it is the truth. As civilizations turn away from God, crime rates rise. As musicians turn away from God, their music becomes increasingly discordant and painful to listen to. In the same way, when you take God out of a school’s education system, it slowly loses all its quality. By returning God to the education system and making him an important part of it (unlike CCS where Bible class is more of an inside joke) America can provide a quality public education. Another thing that would greatly help would be to remove the practice of tenure. By guaranteeing those teachers a job, they do not work as hard. Some do not even teach at all because they know they cannot be fired. This greatly detracts from the student’s education. I suppose the second biggest problem is the politics involved in schools. Politicians love to argue about how students feel and what students want, but has anyone ever bothered to ask students how they feel and what they want? If the politicians would stop bickering just to make themselves look good, maybe the education system could actually do some good. Return the control to the parents and the board of education. No, I don’t mean just say that the control is there, but really give them control. Then leave them to do their business. Thank you.

What makes a good teacher?

First, a teacher must care for his/her students. If a teacher does not care about his/her students, that teacher will be grossly ineffective. Students can sense when a teacher does not care about them, and they immediately close themselves to that teacher. It is difficult to reach a closed person, and impossible if you do not truly care about them. Also, a teacher must treat students as human beings. Too many teachers nowadays talk down to their students. The truth is some students know more about most subjects than their teacher! Students are not dumb. Students are not blind. Students really can think for themselves. In all things we are equal to teachers except in age and education and position placed in. Just because someone has been placed in the position of teacher, however, does not mean they are worthy of the title. A good, effective teacher treats the students as they want to be treated. Yes, discipline is necessary in the classroom, but a good teacher is not only a teacher, but also a friend and mentor. In the movie, none of the students respect Erin at the beginning. However, by the end (yes, I cheated and rented the movie over the weekend) all the students have the greatest respect for her. Erin earned their respect by showing that she respected them. I know many teachers that I would like to show this movie to and say “see? That’s the way to do it!” Too many teachers like to strut around and tell their students that we have to respect them because they are the teacher. That’s ridiculous. The basics of a good teacher are all found in Erin Gruwell who not only won the respect of her students, but their love.

She complained about me, saying I wasn't trying. Why should I try, when she wouldn't?

She complained about me, saying I didn't want to learn. Why should I want to learn, when she didn't want to teach me?

She demanded respect from me... why should I respect her? She didn't respect me.

Life Goes On

So, the play is over. Supposedly, I make a really good old person. ;] And the weather is unbearably hot.

My dad said that we performed a miracle. ;] Though, we all did know that it would take a miracle to pull this thing off. But it went marvelously nonetheless. <3

"Wake me up inside....
Wake me up inside..
Call my name
and save me from the dark.

Save me from the nothing I've become...

Bring me to life."

Theatre

I am so upset I am almost to the point of not caring anymore. >.< The way we are being treated is ridiculous.

We have only one person as director.. producer... everything! And they have decided to take him away a WEEK before performance to go to a science convention.

Do not talk to me about devotion.. you have none.
Do not talk to me about loyalty... you have none.
Do not talk to me about commitment.. you have none.

Talk to me instead about selfishness, blindness, and disrespect.. for that is what you have.