Friday, September 30, 2005

A little something for my "fans!"

Howdy all! (however many of you there happens to be!)

Not much going on, but I'm feeling compelled to blog anyway, so this is going to be a disjointed series of thoughts and observations, rather than a cohesive essay.

  • I've started my admin credential/ masters in school admin program at Azusa Pacific University, and I'm working my tail off. It's a very cool program- cohort groups, really applicable material being taught- but it's very new. Actually, this is the first cohort group they're putting through. It's neat being part of the founding group, especially since we're modifiying the program as we go through it. The university is being very responsive and flexible. So far I'm impressed!
  • John Roberts is our new Chief Justice. I don't know how I feel about that. I'm an optomist, so I want to believe he'll be, as the job title implies, just. While I'm not a great fan of President Bush, and there are some things in his background that make me a little nervous, I'm going, for now, to trust in the process itself. The Founding Fathers gave justices lifetime appointments so they would be (relatively) free of political intereference. Indeed, there are justices who have moved from right to left, or at least towards the center, as their term progressed, so there is still hope. Now, about that other vacancy on the Court....
  • Back to School night was last night. Good turnout, parents seemed satisfied with what I had to say. No requests for schedule changes out of my class today as far as I know. I guess after 9 years I'm getting the hang of it.
  • We had to do some master schedule adjustment this week because of higher-than-expected student numbers. This is a good reason, but still very disruptive. I lost 2 of my 7th grade world history sections and picked up 8th grade U.S. history. I like the U.S. content better, but really like my 7th grade students. I'm sure I'll like the 8th graders, too, but I'm used to the others. Oh, well.
  • Any of the CA folks reading going to the Social Studies Leadership conference in Marina Del Rey next month? It's put on by Houghton-Mifflin (obviously to help sell the new book series), but the agenda looks very cool.
  • It's Friday afternoon, and happy hour beckons with it's sudsy siren's song! (How's that for alliteration? And I'm a History teacher!)
Take care.
Jim

1 comment:

Dan Edwards said...

Hi Jim, Polski here....Do you have any data about that Social Studies leadership conference? I am interested; we are adopting the McDougall-Litteral History texts for Grade 7 and 8, and M-L is a Houghlin Miflin affiliate.....

you can e-mail me at
DKE1959 at aol dot com>

Thanks and have a good week in the classroom!