Bela and Gen exploring at the river.
Fun!
Author Archives: ramblingsofaperforatedmind
Surprise!
I walked home from work this morning to check on Ysabela and the dogs. I figured I’d find her connected to her head phones listening to music and playing on Facebook. I was only half right.
She did, indeed, have her head phones connected, but not to her phone and music. She was listening to a video on the computer. Would you like to guess the topic? I was excited and amazed that she had signed herself up for a free astronomy class through Udemy.com!
We have been chatting about homeschool options, as you may remember from earlier posts, so I think her initiative in this case is saying something important. I will wait and see if her motivation stays high, then we will revisit our decisions for this school year and make any necessary adjustments for next year.
Art!
Freddy painted this for me. I love it!
Throwback Thursday
Once upon a time in Mexico….
Bite My Tongue
The following responses are things I wish I could say to people who ask silly and/or rude questions or make comments that are offensive. Some people do not realize how offensive some remarks can be, so consider this a heads up.
Offensive Remark #1 (to parent of homeschooled children): What about socialization?
What I want to sarcastically say: I’m totally against it! The kids spend most of the day locked in the closet.
The reality is that most homeschooled kids are very well socialized. You appear uneducated when you make a comment like this because you have obviously confused socializing with socialization. Socializing as we know it refers to hanging out with friends in social situations. Socialization refers to getting along and acting appropriately with people of all ages. Most homeschooled children are able to appropriately interact with adults, peers, etc., with little trouble. Parents go out of their way to have interaction with homeschool groups and play groups as well as shuttle the kids to dance class, the library, church, museums and the local nursing home. I think that covers socialization quite well.
Offensive Remark #2 (to parent of homeschooled children): Aren’t there some “gaps” in their education?
What I want to say: Why do you consider it your business? What do you remember from high school? Can you give an example of an isotope? Can you tell me what you know about fractals? When you give me a confused look, I can then tell you, “Oh, I see I found your gaps!” Face it—we all have them. The reality is that education and intelligence are partly about knowing where to find information not stored in our heads!
Offensive Remark #3: People should choose a spouse that is of the same race.
What I want to say: Are you referring to the human race?
The reality is people are people. No race is better than another.
These three examples are the ones that bug me a lot, but there are more. Others include (but are not limited to) things like: Why can’t everyone speak English? We should send all the foreigners back to their home countries. I’m sure you can add your own examples. I am trying to be less judgmental and more thoughtful. I wish others would do the same.
Wordless Wednesday
We used to take the kids to this duck pond in Virginia.
Jinx!
If you have been reading the blog lately, you are aware that we recently adopted dog number three. 🙂 Her name is Jinx, and she’s a white chi mix with very sharp teeth. She started out on her best behavior, of course. According to Bela and her bestie Gen, the “honeymoon” is over! Last night the girls took her out to play, and they came in looking disheveled, leaves and grass in their hair and teeth marks on them! The puppy won the battle and the war!
They told a horrific tale about getting bitten, chased and mauled by a 10-pound pup. Oh, the humanity! As you might imagine, I got a tummy ache from laughing so hard. After all, a little dog like that is infinitely more manageable than a 100-pound dog, right? The girls do not agree. I heard shrieking outside and looked out the window. As a witness to the “attacks,” I can only say the kids were stretched out in the grass laughing. Not exactly convincing “victims” of a brutal “puppy attack,” am I right?
This little girl looks way too innocent to be so rotten. I think the girls decided to make up a story for my sympathy. If Jinx bit them, she was only trying to “taste” her favorite kids. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! Judge for yourself—does this look like the face of a vicious pup?
Jinx!
What innocence!
Cyber bullying?
I consider my teen a relatively well-adjusted girl. She has (so far) been a low maintenance, low drama kid, for which I am extremely thankful. While she’s a good kid, she is not perfect. No kid is.
Last night she was on YouTube checking out some videos of her favorite bands. Some of the singers are gay or bisexual. Bela said she saw some nasty comments from a “hater,” so she responded. He was spewing anti-gay venom, so she defended “her” band. His response was to insult her and tell her she is “irrelevant” and that she should commit suicide.
Bela said, “That’s the first time anyone had ever said something like that to me, and it stung.” Of course it did! I can imagine her first reaction was shock. Nobody talks to her that way. Then she was probably mad and hurt. I can’t blame her for that! At least she was able to defend.
We talked about what he said. A lot. I pointed out that someone who goes straight to insults is exhibiting a shortage of logic to prove an argument. This guy also showed a lot of venom to a stranger for no reason. Can people not agree to disagree and move on? This guy didn’t. I explained that she should have just ignored his negative comments because his opinion has no relevance or importance in her life.
That kind of bullying is out of Bela’s experience. Let’s check out the flip side of that. Imagine, if you can, a child who hears nothing but venom. Those comments are eventually internalized. Think about kids who are consistently told they don’t matter, that they should die, that the world would be better without them in it. Teachers, are specific students coming to mind? If so, what are you going to do about it?
Every child needs a compassionate adult who will say, “You matter to me. You are important and loved.” If not, the negativity seed will take root and flourish. The insults will be taken to heart instead of discarded. I think every teacher should have a “no insults” policy. I saw it work in my classroom. Adults need to talk to students and let them know that every comment they make has an impact, either positive or negative. Students must be challenged to think about their actions and be held accountable.
Let’s make our kids confident enough to accept criticism, evaluate the source and discard or change accordingly. Insults do not count as a valid criticism. Criticism is to help people improve.
Caturday!
I was trying to do my homework!
Full Concentration
Summer is winding down fast, sadly. I am not (yet) mentally ready to step back into the classroom, but I’m getting there. Maybe this year I can give 100% to my classes. I know that sounds bad, but it’s the reality.
My attention has been divided due to the grad classes I have just finished. Any teacher out there can attest to the fact that a teacher must constantly multitask and prioritize. For the past two years, I have juggled two or three classes each semester. I spent the two years before that completing some Nebraska requirements. I have worked hard, but in a multitasking way.
This school year, I will focus fully on my students. It feels like a dream come true! Fellow teachers, you know what I mean. It will be exciting to put my knowledge into practice. I feel very optimistic about helping my students improve their Spanish this year. I will definitely be pushing them harder. People in our town will have to adjust to hearing me speak only Spanish to my students no matter where I see them. Some will be angered by it, but I know what is best for my students. If I don’t use what I’ve learned, what good was all the time I spent studying?
Ramblings of a Perforated Mind 