...and we're back.

So I started this blog right when I assigned a major paper in my freshman English classes.  After 7 years in the business you'd think I'd know better.  I'm a noob.  Needless to say, I was quite busy helping my young ones edit and revise their work.  Once the final product was done, I went through the laborious task of actually reading them.  Yes, I read them.  I somehow feel like a cheat them if I don't put in the same effort they put in.  One day I will wise up.

Many of my honor students felt like they gave birth.  Some felt this because they treated their paper like their "precious" (insert Gollum voice here) while others seem to be physically and mentally distraught by the amount of work they had to do.  I don't think I've seen a student experience Post-Traumatic Research Paper  Disorder, but it may have happened this year.  

Tack on putting on a prom and you have a recipe for...  well... I was going to say disaster, but it certainly cut into my "me" time.  

A teacher friend of mine has somewhat reignited my need to write again.  She challenged me to write everyday.  Not sure if I can accomplish that, but I'll sure as hell try.  I have a week of AP training that is at the forefront of my mind and I really want to do well.  OK, that's just an excuse.  Pft!

Introduction

Hi.

You'd think that would be enough, but in today's world of "liking", "tweeting", and "tagging" it seems all personal info should be spilled out on the internet for the world to see.  Next thing I know the government is calling me questioning why I like pictures of cats dangling from tree branches so much.

After several attempts to talk about my tribes and tribulations about teaching I am reverting back to a forum I'm more familiar with.  I kept a blog before that chronicled my divorce and then subsequent relationship and marriage to my current wife, but that is long gone as there was way to much bitterness combined with happiness for my taste.

Over the last several years, I've become a bit outspoken about my profession.  I'm not a campus radical or anything like that, but I do call 'em as I see 'em.  Now is a great time to be discussing the profession.  Educators are being scrutinized at an all time high.  The number of stories involving teachers having inappropriate relations with students are suddenly blowing up.  In the fine state of California we are in a budget crisis that has near crippled our schools.   And we are living under the shadow of NCLB where every school must show proficiency by 2014.  Yeah, right.  To use a popular term from my generation "...and monkey's might fly out of my butt."

Pardon me as I find my way through this blogging process.  I'll learn as I go.  If you follow regularly and blog regularly, I'd love your advice and opinions.