Coasters 3

Here's a makeshift calendar for this month, 13 years ago. Notice the "skipped" labels and the Super Bowl party at Jane's.














This one is precious! We've never seen such a fetish for playing with one's hair. Fantastisch!



















In the next week I will begin posting a series of images that are critical of the choice of material for our classes. Herr Brauner, Frau Klose, and Frau Lazda really take the brunt of my sentiment. Whoa, I've really mellowed. Viel Spaß!

For the Children? Follow the Money!

Allow me a departure from memory lane to do a mini-rant about another unecessary, I-feel-better-because-I-did-something piece of legislation from the Wisconsin legislature and Governor Jim Doyle. It regards the new law requiring kids UP TO 8 years old be in booster seats. This time the both parties suspended sniping and fell over one another along with Diamond Jim to get to a microphone to profess their commitment to child safety.

This law was a major victory for the pro-child-safety crowd over the Wisconsin-Coalition-to-Injure-Children. Now I will have to either buy more booster seats or refrain from assisting the neighbors by offering to take their kids to the library. To abide the new law, we can take multiple sorties in our vehicles to consume more state-mandated-ethanol fuel (another inbred piece of Wisconsin legislation). We can therefore protect our children from certain death and prop up an industry that needs the force of law to survive.

But alas, it's not about safety. That's just a photo-op for politicians and something for soccer moms to focus their diluted attention on. It's about money. The Appleton Post-Crescent reports:

"With passage of this law, Wisconsin is eligible for $625,000 in federal funds and up to $2.5 million over the next six years. The money is earmarked for child safety seat education and training programs as well as programs that provide child safety seats to low income families."

Ah! The law presents a chance to plunge that sweet needle of federal money deep into our state veins and enjoy the euphoria of it all. Hit me! Done.

Coasters 2

The second entry down Errinnerungstraße from Spring 1993. Apologies to those readers not familiar. This is a service to the Coasters, Three seniors and a sophomore who routinely ditched the profs and the eleven underclasssheep along on the study tour of Germany. "Coasters" derived from the group's habit of collecting Bierdekln from each establishment we dined at.

The two journal entries depict personalities in our classes. One Mädchen compensated her limited language abilities with spirited gesticulations that offended the deaf. The other described another person's habit which, some suspected, had a consequence in personal appearance.

Enjoy!

My Stab at Diversity

I was asked recently to write a diversity column from an educator's point of view for a publication I'm involved with. Tired of the same eduindustry touchy-feely junk, I took the opportunity to share my thoughts. I hope it stands clear of that sort of stuff.

"As a middle school teacher my administration expects me to celebrate diversity. But what does that mean? Is it a special series of posters? Is it a worksheet downloaded from the Internet or special recipes at the cultural fair? I can assure you, teenagers possess a sixth sense that sees right through that sort of approach.

I returned to Webster's Dictionary which defines diversity as "the quality of being made up of distinct characteristics, qualities or elements." My students, by their mere attendance demonstrate diversityevery day. Twenty-five percent of them are classified as learning disabled; 10 percent are gifted; 20 percent receive speech and language services. They play sports and help in the school play. They are the children of doctors, judges, cashiers or the unemployed. But they have one all-important thread in common. They are Americans.

After the year is finished and we've nailed the objectives and mailed the report cards, if I have made at least of few of them contemplate their unique gift as Americans, I will have succeeded. Success comes in building our own conscious worldview and then trying our imperfect best to
honor it. So I celebrate the commonality of our diverse young Americans.

For it is their respect, responsibility and shared sense of country that we're absolutely dependent on for our future."