Thursday, June 17, 2010
New Blog
FYI, I started my new blog at http://www.lamontclark.com . You can check me out there. Also, be sure to vote for my project http://www.refresheverything.com/iamhiphop ...voting ends on June 30, so vote now, and vote often!!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Just Plain Old Lazy!
Man, it's been almost a full month, and I haven't blogged about anything! The reason is plain old lazy! Now don't confuse Plain Old Lazy with Pure Laziness. They are in the same family, but not quite the same. Plain Old Lazy means, you (in this case I) was busy doing things AND I had opportunities to write, I just didn't quite get here. Pure Laziness is when you simply don't do a damn thing. See, they both end up in the same place, but you just feel a little better about Plain Old Lazy (I think).
It's not like I don't have plenty I could write about, for instance:
- Kids In The Kitchen is up for another DCTV (vote at http://dctvonline.tv/VCA_voting.asp before May 10th)...
- University of Phoenix effed up my Financial Aid so I'm withdrawing AND I may pursue a totally different degree...
- "I Am Hip Hop Too" (the CD Project) preliminarily got accepted into Pepsi's Refresh Everything Grant competition...
- I'm starting a new blog, based on the I Am Hip Hop Too concept...
- We filmed a new show for Kids In The Kitchen, and have decided to re-name the show Yummy! Yummy! starting in the fall...
- and quite a few other things I could blog about...
One day this week, I'm gonna put Pure Old Lazy to bed, and he's gonna wake up in somebody else's house. Until then, let me go see what he wants.
It's not like I don't have plenty I could write about, for instance:
- Kids In The Kitchen is up for another DCTV (vote at http://dctvonline.tv/VCA_voting.asp before May 10th)...
- University of Phoenix effed up my Financial Aid so I'm withdrawing AND I may pursue a totally different degree...
- "I Am Hip Hop Too" (the CD Project) preliminarily got accepted into Pepsi's Refresh Everything Grant competition...
- I'm starting a new blog, based on the I Am Hip Hop Too concept...
- We filmed a new show for Kids In The Kitchen, and have decided to re-name the show Yummy! Yummy! starting in the fall...
- and quite a few other things I could blog about...
One day this week, I'm gonna put Pure Old Lazy to bed, and he's gonna wake up in somebody else's house. Until then, let me go see what he wants.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Payback Time - A Book Review
A Book Appears On My Doorstep
One day back in February (I think) I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine about finances and how we planned to make improvements to ours. I have plenty of room for improvement in my finances, P-L-E-N-T-Y. One of the things I was talking about was starting with eliminating credit and working from their. I planned on using information from people such as Dave Ramsey and T. Harv Eker. Ramsey's latest book Total Money Makeover null and T. Harv Eker's Secret's of the Millionaire Mind null were going to be among the first books that I studied (not just read). My friend mentioned a few books he was interested in, and he mentioned Phil Town's book Rule #1. Several weeks later, I came home and there was a package in my doorway. I opened it, and it was a Phil Town book, Payback Time, so I thought maybe my friend was looking out for me and ordered it for me. When I called him and asked him about it, he told me he hadn't ordered it. So to this day, I have no idea how this book wound up at my doorstep, but I'm glad it did!
Who is Phil Town, and What Is Payback Time?
The book is called PAYBACK TIME: Making BIG Money Is The Best Revengenull. If you've never heard of Phil Town, in a nutshell he was a former river guide who became a self made millionaire through investing and then became a highly sought after speasker and best selling author with his book Rule #1. Rule #1 is a book that was written to be "a guide to stock trading for people who beleived they lacked the knowledg to trade." Stock trading probably sounds daunting to most people because most people think that the stock market is this big scary thing that only stock brokers know. Rule #1 was written to show people that they could trade just as well, and even better, than the people that many of us entrusted to handle our money (via 401Ks). Payback Time on the other hand is a book written to teach average people how to invest in stocks using a mthod called "stockpiling". Simply put, stockpiling is the method that Warren Buffett has used to become one of the richest men in the world. So if you can teach me what Buffett is doing, I'm sold!
Basics Of Payback Time
The book essentially takes you through the process of leraning how to invest like Buffett invests. He shows you that how when times seem to be bad (such as our current economic situation), they are likely to be the best times to be a wise investor. Through this book Town teaches you how to find good companies and how to properly invest in those companies, but only IF the price is right. Oh yeah, and he bashes the crap out of mutual funds and mutual fund managers. I've never been big on mutual funds myself, but thoughout the years I've always been told how I should be investing for my retirement, and how mutual funds were the way to do it. I even became a financial "counselor" at one point, basically selling mutual funds tied to insurance. It all sounds nice, especially when the good times are rolling. But when the market came tumbiling down in the early 2000s and then again in the late 2000s, and people lost 50% of their retirement funds, that convential wisdom didn't look so good. And if we were really made aware, we would have known that it was never really so good to begin with.
An Excerpt From Payback Time
Here's an excerpt from the book "A lot of what you read in this book flies in the face of conventional wisdom and certainly must irritate the institutions that control the stock market. The idea that an individual investor doesn't need to put money in mutual funds and should be finding good investments on his or her own is certainly revolutionary to the existing financial order. Should you find out you can do this better on your own, Good Lord, who knows what kind of craziness might ensue. Entire institutions might fall. We might lose most of our investment banks. Mutual funds might cease to exist. The financial world as we know it today might end. And, in particular, an unimaginable fortune in fees might be lost forever. Oh. Wait. Alot of that is already happening. The old financial order is crumbling before our eyes, driven to self-destruction by greed and envy and other people's money...."
Making A Fortune, Is It For You?
Making a fortune is not easy work. What is described in the pages of the book is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes learning and it takes time. He provides you with clear examples of how to navigate the terrain and even provides you some really helpful tools on his website http://www.paybacktimebook.com . Most people will feel much more comfortable allowing their money to be invested in mutual funds, and hoping that we don't go through more economic downturns (especially right before it is your turn to retire). If you want to take control of your finances, then this book is for you. You can get the book by clicking the image toward the top, and you can visit his site at www.ruleonerevolution.com.
If you are interested in his book Rule #1 you can get that here null
One day back in February (I think) I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine about finances and how we planned to make improvements to ours. I have plenty of room for improvement in my finances, P-L-E-N-T-Y. One of the things I was talking about was starting with eliminating credit and working from their. I planned on using information from people such as Dave Ramsey and T. Harv Eker. Ramsey's latest book Total Money Makeover null and T. Harv Eker's Secret's of the Millionaire Mind null were going to be among the first books that I studied (not just read). My friend mentioned a few books he was interested in, and he mentioned Phil Town's book Rule #1. Several weeks later, I came home and there was a package in my doorway. I opened it, and it was a Phil Town book, Payback Time, so I thought maybe my friend was looking out for me and ordered it for me. When I called him and asked him about it, he told me he hadn't ordered it. So to this day, I have no idea how this book wound up at my doorstep, but I'm glad it did!
Who is Phil Town, and What Is Payback Time?
The book is called PAYBACK TIME: Making BIG Money Is The Best Revengenull. If you've never heard of Phil Town, in a nutshell he was a former river guide who became a self made millionaire through investing and then became a highly sought after speasker and best selling author with his book Rule #1. Rule #1 is a book that was written to be "a guide to stock trading for people who beleived they lacked the knowledg to trade." Stock trading probably sounds daunting to most people because most people think that the stock market is this big scary thing that only stock brokers know. Rule #1 was written to show people that they could trade just as well, and even better, than the people that many of us entrusted to handle our money (via 401Ks). Payback Time on the other hand is a book written to teach average people how to invest in stocks using a mthod called "stockpiling". Simply put, stockpiling is the method that Warren Buffett has used to become one of the richest men in the world. So if you can teach me what Buffett is doing, I'm sold!
Basics Of Payback Time
The book essentially takes you through the process of leraning how to invest like Buffett invests. He shows you that how when times seem to be bad (such as our current economic situation), they are likely to be the best times to be a wise investor. Through this book Town teaches you how to find good companies and how to properly invest in those companies, but only IF the price is right. Oh yeah, and he bashes the crap out of mutual funds and mutual fund managers. I've never been big on mutual funds myself, but thoughout the years I've always been told how I should be investing for my retirement, and how mutual funds were the way to do it. I even became a financial "counselor" at one point, basically selling mutual funds tied to insurance. It all sounds nice, especially when the good times are rolling. But when the market came tumbiling down in the early 2000s and then again in the late 2000s, and people lost 50% of their retirement funds, that convential wisdom didn't look so good. And if we were really made aware, we would have known that it was never really so good to begin with.
An Excerpt From Payback Time
Here's an excerpt from the book "A lot of what you read in this book flies in the face of conventional wisdom and certainly must irritate the institutions that control the stock market. The idea that an individual investor doesn't need to put money in mutual funds and should be finding good investments on his or her own is certainly revolutionary to the existing financial order. Should you find out you can do this better on your own, Good Lord, who knows what kind of craziness might ensue. Entire institutions might fall. We might lose most of our investment banks. Mutual funds might cease to exist. The financial world as we know it today might end. And, in particular, an unimaginable fortune in fees might be lost forever. Oh. Wait. Alot of that is already happening. The old financial order is crumbling before our eyes, driven to self-destruction by greed and envy and other people's money...."
Making A Fortune, Is It For You?
Making a fortune is not easy work. What is described in the pages of the book is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes learning and it takes time. He provides you with clear examples of how to navigate the terrain and even provides you some really helpful tools on his website http://www.paybacktimebook.com . Most people will feel much more comfortable allowing their money to be invested in mutual funds, and hoping that we don't go through more economic downturns (especially right before it is your turn to retire). If you want to take control of your finances, then this book is for you. You can get the book by clicking the image toward the top, and you can visit his site at www.ruleonerevolution.com.
If you are interested in his book Rule #1 you can get that here null
Friday, April 2, 2010
Things To Be Desired
Being that today is "Good Friday" I decided to post one of my favorite poems, Desiderata. There is some confusion around it's origin, so with a little research this is what I found out (via fleurdelis.com)
The Confused History of "Desiderata"
The author is Max Ehrmann, a poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who lived from 1872 to 1945. It has been reported that Desiderata was inspired by an urge that Ehrmann wrote about in his diary:
"I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift -- a bit of chaste prose that had caught up some noble moods."
Around 1959, the Rev. Frederick Kates, the rector of St. Paul's Church in Baltimore, Maryland, used the poem in a collection of devotional materials he compiled for his congregation. (Some years earlier he had come across a copy of Desiderata.) At the top of the handout was the notation, "Old St. Paul's Church, Baltimore A.C. 1692." The church was founded in 1692.
As the material was handed from one friend to another, the authorship became clouded. Copies with the "Old St. Paul's Church" notation were printed and distributed liberally in the years that followed. It is perhaps understandable that a later publisher would interpret this notation as meaning that the poem itself was found in Old St. Paul's Church, dated 1692. This notation no doubt added to the charm and historic appeal of the poem, despite the fact that the actual language in the poem suggests a more modern origin. The poem was popular prose for the "make peace, not war" movement of the 1960s.
When Adlai Stevenson died in 1965, a guest in his home found a copy of Desiderata near his bedside and discovered that Stevenson had planned to use it in his Christmas cards. The publicity that followed gave widespread fame to the poem as well as the mistaken relationship to St. Paul's Church.
As of 1977, the rector of St. Paul's Church was not amused by the confusion. Having dealt with the confusion "40 times a week for 15 years," he was sick of it.
This misinterpretation has only added to the confusion concerning whether or not the poem is in the public domain.
By the way, Desiderata is Latin for "Things to be Desired."
DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
The Confused History of "Desiderata"
The author is Max Ehrmann, a poet and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, who lived from 1872 to 1945. It has been reported that Desiderata was inspired by an urge that Ehrmann wrote about in his diary:
"I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift -- a bit of chaste prose that had caught up some noble moods."
Around 1959, the Rev. Frederick Kates, the rector of St. Paul's Church in Baltimore, Maryland, used the poem in a collection of devotional materials he compiled for his congregation. (Some years earlier he had come across a copy of Desiderata.) At the top of the handout was the notation, "Old St. Paul's Church, Baltimore A.C. 1692." The church was founded in 1692.
As the material was handed from one friend to another, the authorship became clouded. Copies with the "Old St. Paul's Church" notation were printed and distributed liberally in the years that followed. It is perhaps understandable that a later publisher would interpret this notation as meaning that the poem itself was found in Old St. Paul's Church, dated 1692. This notation no doubt added to the charm and historic appeal of the poem, despite the fact that the actual language in the poem suggests a more modern origin. The poem was popular prose for the "make peace, not war" movement of the 1960s.
When Adlai Stevenson died in 1965, a guest in his home found a copy of Desiderata near his bedside and discovered that Stevenson had planned to use it in his Christmas cards. The publicity that followed gave widespread fame to the poem as well as the mistaken relationship to St. Paul's Church.
As of 1977, the rector of St. Paul's Church was not amused by the confusion. Having dealt with the confusion "40 times a week for 15 years," he was sick of it.
This misinterpretation has only added to the confusion concerning whether or not the poem is in the public domain.
By the way, Desiderata is Latin for "Things to be Desired."
DESIDERATA
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Kinda Famous
I was going to call this one "Almost Famous" but I didn't want to infringe upon any copyrights or anything (like I really care). But for real, this is more about the use of Public Access television to make you that star that you always knew you could be!
If you look at my earlier posts I show some behind the scenes of the shooting of an episode of the children's cooking show that I produce/direct. In the video below I take you into the control room and the studio of DCTV, Washington DC's public access station. DCTV has just upgraded their studio and have a fairly state of the art system. Over $1,000,000 worth of new equiptment at the disposal of everyday Joes (and Janes)like myself, for a price you absolutely will not beat. If you are in DC you need to check out DCTV at www.dctvonline.tv .
When you watch the video below you will see some state of the art equiptment in DCTV's Control Room. I've directed my fair share of shows at DCTV and the equiptment I used was not like the new stuff, but nonetheless I, and many others, made it work for them. Whether the station near you has new equiptment or not, go use it. Some people get so caught up in having the newest latest, but never actually do anything with the stuff. It's only about the equiptment, it's about Y-O-U.
Anyhow, this is how it usually goes down...You are young. You have dreams of being famous, but you never pursue them. You start getting older and you watch other people pursue their dreams. You talk about the people who actually do something (from the comfort of your couch), and how you could do better. You still do nothing. You die. The end.
Well I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to end that way. Oh you will still die, but you don't have to have died doing nothing. Get off your butt, go join your public access station. Take their classes. Make that show you've always wanted to make. Become kinda famous. Then die. The end.
Before the end comes, pursue your dream. You don't have to be famous to express yourself. That's the trap many people fall into. It's either "famous or bust". In my book it's not like that. I enjoy producing and directing shows. The shows get seen by whoever they get seen by (and beleive me, people will watch), and I get the satisfaction of having done something that I enjoy no matter what how many eyes view it. Maybe one day some TV executive will call me and say "We just gotta have your show o our station! Come to New York NOW!!" Or many not. But one thing is for certain, I can say my shows were on TV. You need to be saying it with me. Now skidaddle! And don't come back until you are pursuing your dream.
But watch this video first, follow this blog, follow me on twitter - @lamontclark, and lets be friends on Facebook - www.facebook.com/lamontc .
If you look at my earlier posts I show some behind the scenes of the shooting of an episode of the children's cooking show that I produce/direct. In the video below I take you into the control room and the studio of DCTV, Washington DC's public access station. DCTV has just upgraded their studio and have a fairly state of the art system. Over $1,000,000 worth of new equiptment at the disposal of everyday Joes (and Janes)like myself, for a price you absolutely will not beat. If you are in DC you need to check out DCTV at www.dctvonline.tv .
When you watch the video below you will see some state of the art equiptment in DCTV's Control Room. I've directed my fair share of shows at DCTV and the equiptment I used was not like the new stuff, but nonetheless I, and many others, made it work for them. Whether the station near you has new equiptment or not, go use it. Some people get so caught up in having the newest latest, but never actually do anything with the stuff. It's only about the equiptment, it's about Y-O-U.
Anyhow, this is how it usually goes down...You are young. You have dreams of being famous, but you never pursue them. You start getting older and you watch other people pursue their dreams. You talk about the people who actually do something (from the comfort of your couch), and how you could do better. You still do nothing. You die. The end.
Well I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to end that way. Oh you will still die, but you don't have to have died doing nothing. Get off your butt, go join your public access station. Take their classes. Make that show you've always wanted to make. Become kinda famous. Then die. The end.
Before the end comes, pursue your dream. You don't have to be famous to express yourself. That's the trap many people fall into. It's either "famous or bust". In my book it's not like that. I enjoy producing and directing shows. The shows get seen by whoever they get seen by (and beleive me, people will watch), and I get the satisfaction of having done something that I enjoy no matter what how many eyes view it. Maybe one day some TV executive will call me and say "We just gotta have your show o our station! Come to New York NOW!!" Or many not. But one thing is for certain, I can say my shows were on TV. You need to be saying it with me. Now skidaddle! And don't come back until you are pursuing your dream.
But watch this video first, follow this blog, follow me on twitter - @lamontclark, and lets be friends on Facebook - www.facebook.com/lamontc .
Monday, March 8, 2010
Top 10 Things Heard In A Public School Classroom
If you don't already know I am pursuing a Master Degree in Elementary Education. While I am earning the degree I also need to work because my bills don't give a good got-damn what I'm doing as long as they get their money. So being a substitute teacher is a good job for me because A) it pays and B) I get some first hand classroom experience. (Side Note - If your company is hiring, hook me up! Please!)
So anyhow, while serving as a "sub" I have noticed that the children in these schools tend to say similar things. These things seem to start around the third grade and become more prevalent the closer they get to middle school age. I should also note that these schools that I've been to are not the upper echelon of public schools in the city. They have been underperforming schools and these Top 10 Quotes are a reflection of that.
A Note About The Teachers
Before I go into the Top 10 list, it should be noted that DC Public Schools have been underperforming for many years. The new Chancellor seems to be trying her best to shake things up in DC, for the benefit of the students she would say, but time will tell how effective her moves really are. She has had quite a few mis-steps, and the media has wanted to laud her before she has really proven what she can do. It's like that "can't miss" #1 draft pick; it's all good until it's not all good.
I have noticed that many of the teachers seem to want to do well. But the teachers in these schools are facing a lot of challenges. Poor funding, inadequate buildings, lack of parental involvement, and a number of other issues have to be dealt with by these teachers. Believe me folks, it is not a walk in the park for them. Well with that said, let's get on to the list.
Top 10 List
I was wondering how I should order the list 10 to 1 or 1 to 10. And should I do it by my favorite quotes, or by what I hear most often. So I decided to go from 10 to 1, but with no particular significance to it's order (for instance #5 isn't necessarily any more significant than #9). If you are a parent, you may note that you probably hear some of these same things around the house from your kids. So, if you hear it around the house, you better believe they are saying it in school. So without further ado...
10. "What Did I Do?"
You would usually hear this one after you single out a student for doing something that he/she should not have been doing. Somehow students NEVER seem to know that they did something wrong, even though you were looking right at them as they did it. And if this wasn't enough, you some times will get...
9. "It Wasn't Me!"
Uhhhm, yeah, it was you. I was looking right at you throw the paper, I know your voice, or your fellow classmates ratted you out. If you as a teacher had your attention diverted from whatever reason, then there is the possibility that it may not have been that student, so what, they will do something else later.
8. "So, I'm Not Going"
Usually said under their breath, in a low tone (but not low enough) after you threaten them with detention. The common sound effect that accompanies this is the sucking of teeth. The normal teacher follow-up threat will tend to involve either the Principle (or Vice Principle or Dean of Students, etc) or parents, to which the student will typically respond with...
7. "But I Didn't Do Anything"
Refer to #'s 10 and 9. By this point hopefully the student will just leave well enough alone. But there are way to many students who can't or don't know when to stop, and their next response is usually...
6. "So, I Don't Care"
If I were somehow rating these quotes, this would be pretty high up on the list. This response is a big deal when I hear it because you hear it too many times. I am not sure if the student really doesn't care or if it is just a defensive response from them. If I were to go on how the students continue to act, I would say they really don't care.
As a substitute teacher you know going in that the children will expect to have a day off since you are there. Some teachers are fully prepared for their absence and leave plenty of relevant work for the students to do. Many however leave some simple busy work that far too often the students tell me they've already done the worksheet before, and they finish in 10 minutes. Therefore depending on the age and class, how they occupy the rest of their time is always interesting.
I had a class of 5th grade boys that was just off the hook. They couldn't stay still for 30 seconds. Constantly talking, pushing, throwing paper at each other, wanting to do wrestling moves on each other, talking about each other derogatively, and definitely not wanting to do their work, it was crazy. I typically let students talk to each other as long as they don't get out of hand. Well as I described earlier "out of hand" seemed to be the norm for them. I yelled at them, and it go their attention, for about 45 seconds. Send a kid to the office, he'd come back, and 5 minutes later he was back to doing things that would get him in trouble. They just didn't seem to care.
It is a shame when that is the case because they don't understand how important learning and education is to their lives. Which brings me to the next quote...
5. "I Can't Do This"
There is absolutely nothing wrong with not being able to do a problem. That is why you go to school, to learn it. But (you knew there was a "but" coming didn't you?!?) in this case the students are NOT asking "how do you do this?" or "can you help me do this?" The problem I have with this quote is when the children barely try to do the work. I think it is because some are just intellectually lazy, and too much is given to them. They would definitely rather copy someone else's paper than actually try to do he work themselves. At the first sign of difficulty, they retreat and are ready to give up. Fortunately, with a little bit of instruction and encouragement, you can help a good number of students through this one, but far too many still believe that they "can't".
4. "Why Do We Have To Do This Anyway?"
I hear this one a lot. It would be okay if it was 12th grade Trigonometry, but is is usually basic math or reading work assignments. I try to answer this by engaging them in a conversation about what they want to be when they grow up. No matter what it is the students want to be, they don't seem to get it that you need to know how to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and/or read. It's somewhat okay when you are a fourth grader and you want to be a wrestler and you don't make the immediate connection, but it is far less okay when you are an 8th grader who says you want to be a veterinarian and you are failing basic science and math.
3. "Mr/Mrs X Is Boring"
Not much I can say about that. If the teacher is boring, then they are boring. There are far too many teachers who don't make their classes even remotely exciting. This could be because of the pressure that teachers are under to "teach to the test". Ah yes, "the test". Every state has their measurement tests, and teachers feel the pressure to have their students performing at least "at standard". Well if you account for all of the issues that I mentioned earlier in the post, it is pretty hard to get the underperforming students to be "at standard". So, who has time for fun? The classroom surely isn't the place to have it, right?
2. "Can I Go Get Some Water" or "Can I Go To The Bathroom"
Man do I get that one a lot! Many teachers have set times to allow their students bathroom and water breaks and when I mention it to the children, they act like it is the first time they ever heard such a thing! Bathroom and water breaks are run of the mill time wasters- go to the bathroom, that's less time in the class, and more time in the hall baby! Nothing is going on in the hall, but children love to be there!
1. "This Is Such An Un-Learning Environment!"
This is my favorite quote. It was said one day by an eighth grade student who was clearly disgusted by his classroom. This student was (is) going on to one of the top high schools in DC, and for him to be in the school he was currently in was probably torture. I will reiterate that I believe that most teachers want to do a good job and would love to be surrounded by students who just loved to learn. But that certainly isnt the case in many instances.
Right, wrong, or whatever, as a substitute teacher I think I get to have a pretty good view of some things. I'm not attached to the school(s) that I come in to sub for, so I don't have any allegiances, and I don't have any baggage either. So when I see something, it is me seeing it as an outsider who has been let in for a little while. I see poorly lit classes, bland colors on the walls, messy rooms, posters on walls that I know the kids don't pay attention to, kids with poor attitudes, parents who barely participate in their child's education process, and poor/bad attitudes (towards themselves, teachers, classmates, and learning), and frustrated teachers...yup, definitely an "unlearning environment".
I don't want to make it seem like these schools are "Eastside High" (see the movie Lean On Me starring Morgan Freeman), but they will need a similar type of turn around, with focused efforts by EVERYBODY, especially the parents, because I do beleive it starts at home.
Please share your thoughts, comments, questions, and job offers below!
So anyhow, while serving as a "sub" I have noticed that the children in these schools tend to say similar things. These things seem to start around the third grade and become more prevalent the closer they get to middle school age. I should also note that these schools that I've been to are not the upper echelon of public schools in the city. They have been underperforming schools and these Top 10 Quotes are a reflection of that.
A Note About The Teachers
Before I go into the Top 10 list, it should be noted that DC Public Schools have been underperforming for many years. The new Chancellor seems to be trying her best to shake things up in DC, for the benefit of the students she would say, but time will tell how effective her moves really are. She has had quite a few mis-steps, and the media has wanted to laud her before she has really proven what she can do. It's like that "can't miss" #1 draft pick; it's all good until it's not all good.
I have noticed that many of the teachers seem to want to do well. But the teachers in these schools are facing a lot of challenges. Poor funding, inadequate buildings, lack of parental involvement, and a number of other issues have to be dealt with by these teachers. Believe me folks, it is not a walk in the park for them. Well with that said, let's get on to the list.
Top 10 List
I was wondering how I should order the list 10 to 1 or 1 to 10. And should I do it by my favorite quotes, or by what I hear most often. So I decided to go from 10 to 1, but with no particular significance to it's order (for instance #5 isn't necessarily any more significant than #9). If you are a parent, you may note that you probably hear some of these same things around the house from your kids. So, if you hear it around the house, you better believe they are saying it in school. So without further ado...
10. "What Did I Do?"
You would usually hear this one after you single out a student for doing something that he/she should not have been doing. Somehow students NEVER seem to know that they did something wrong, even though you were looking right at them as they did it. And if this wasn't enough, you some times will get...
9. "It Wasn't Me!"
Uhhhm, yeah, it was you. I was looking right at you throw the paper, I know your voice, or your fellow classmates ratted you out. If you as a teacher had your attention diverted from whatever reason, then there is the possibility that it may not have been that student, so what, they will do something else later.
8. "So, I'm Not Going"
Usually said under their breath, in a low tone (but not low enough) after you threaten them with detention. The common sound effect that accompanies this is the sucking of teeth. The normal teacher follow-up threat will tend to involve either the Principle (or Vice Principle or Dean of Students, etc) or parents, to which the student will typically respond with...
7. "But I Didn't Do Anything"
Refer to #'s 10 and 9. By this point hopefully the student will just leave well enough alone. But there are way to many students who can't or don't know when to stop, and their next response is usually...
6. "So, I Don't Care"
If I were somehow rating these quotes, this would be pretty high up on the list. This response is a big deal when I hear it because you hear it too many times. I am not sure if the student really doesn't care or if it is just a defensive response from them. If I were to go on how the students continue to act, I would say they really don't care.
As a substitute teacher you know going in that the children will expect to have a day off since you are there. Some teachers are fully prepared for their absence and leave plenty of relevant work for the students to do. Many however leave some simple busy work that far too often the students tell me they've already done the worksheet before, and they finish in 10 minutes. Therefore depending on the age and class, how they occupy the rest of their time is always interesting.
I had a class of 5th grade boys that was just off the hook. They couldn't stay still for 30 seconds. Constantly talking, pushing, throwing paper at each other, wanting to do wrestling moves on each other, talking about each other derogatively, and definitely not wanting to do their work, it was crazy. I typically let students talk to each other as long as they don't get out of hand. Well as I described earlier "out of hand" seemed to be the norm for them. I yelled at them, and it go their attention, for about 45 seconds. Send a kid to the office, he'd come back, and 5 minutes later he was back to doing things that would get him in trouble. They just didn't seem to care.
It is a shame when that is the case because they don't understand how important learning and education is to their lives. Which brings me to the next quote...
5. "I Can't Do This"
There is absolutely nothing wrong with not being able to do a problem. That is why you go to school, to learn it. But (you knew there was a "but" coming didn't you?!?) in this case the students are NOT asking "how do you do this?" or "can you help me do this?" The problem I have with this quote is when the children barely try to do the work. I think it is because some are just intellectually lazy, and too much is given to them. They would definitely rather copy someone else's paper than actually try to do he work themselves. At the first sign of difficulty, they retreat and are ready to give up. Fortunately, with a little bit of instruction and encouragement, you can help a good number of students through this one, but far too many still believe that they "can't".
4. "Why Do We Have To Do This Anyway?"
I hear this one a lot. It would be okay if it was 12th grade Trigonometry, but is is usually basic math or reading work assignments. I try to answer this by engaging them in a conversation about what they want to be when they grow up. No matter what it is the students want to be, they don't seem to get it that you need to know how to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and/or read. It's somewhat okay when you are a fourth grader and you want to be a wrestler and you don't make the immediate connection, but it is far less okay when you are an 8th grader who says you want to be a veterinarian and you are failing basic science and math.
3. "Mr/Mrs X Is Boring"
Not much I can say about that. If the teacher is boring, then they are boring. There are far too many teachers who don't make their classes even remotely exciting. This could be because of the pressure that teachers are under to "teach to the test". Ah yes, "the test". Every state has their measurement tests, and teachers feel the pressure to have their students performing at least "at standard". Well if you account for all of the issues that I mentioned earlier in the post, it is pretty hard to get the underperforming students to be "at standard". So, who has time for fun? The classroom surely isn't the place to have it, right?
2. "Can I Go Get Some Water" or "Can I Go To The Bathroom"
Man do I get that one a lot! Many teachers have set times to allow their students bathroom and water breaks and when I mention it to the children, they act like it is the first time they ever heard such a thing! Bathroom and water breaks are run of the mill time wasters- go to the bathroom, that's less time in the class, and more time in the hall baby! Nothing is going on in the hall, but children love to be there!
1. "This Is Such An Un-Learning Environment!"
This is my favorite quote. It was said one day by an eighth grade student who was clearly disgusted by his classroom. This student was (is) going on to one of the top high schools in DC, and for him to be in the school he was currently in was probably torture. I will reiterate that I believe that most teachers want to do a good job and would love to be surrounded by students who just loved to learn. But that certainly isnt the case in many instances.
Right, wrong, or whatever, as a substitute teacher I think I get to have a pretty good view of some things. I'm not attached to the school(s) that I come in to sub for, so I don't have any allegiances, and I don't have any baggage either. So when I see something, it is me seeing it as an outsider who has been let in for a little while. I see poorly lit classes, bland colors on the walls, messy rooms, posters on walls that I know the kids don't pay attention to, kids with poor attitudes, parents who barely participate in their child's education process, and poor/bad attitudes (towards themselves, teachers, classmates, and learning), and frustrated teachers...yup, definitely an "unlearning environment".
I don't want to make it seem like these schools are "Eastside High" (see the movie Lean On Me starring Morgan Freeman), but they will need a similar type of turn around, with focused efforts by EVERYBODY, especially the parents, because I do beleive it starts at home.
Please share your thoughts, comments, questions, and job offers below!
Monday, March 1, 2010
I Am Hip Hop Too - Hip Hop's Betrayal Of Black Women
If you've read my early posts, then you know that I am in the process of making a CD, I Am Hip Hop Too, that is about, for, and by young women. Also in the earlier post I touched on the subject of how women have been devalued, de-humanized, and "thingified" in a good amount of rap songs. Today I want to share excerpts from an article written about four years ago. I came across this article the other day while looking for the original business plan I wrote for the CD. I had saved this article simply because it was a very powerful piece. Again, I will share excerpt of the article which was entitled "Celie's Revenge: Hip Hop's Betrayal of Black Women" You can read the full article by clicking on the link.
Please note, in the article the author refers to "Hip Hop", when she is mostly talking about Rap Music. Granted there may be sexism in Hip Hop as a culture, but it is most blatant in the music. Hip Hop is a culture, NOT just rap music. The elements of hip hop include: Breakin (dancing), Emceeing (rapping), Graffiti Art, Deejayin, and Knowledge (which are considered the Five Pillars of Hip Hop). Hip hop also includes Beatboxin, Street Fashion, Street Language, and Street Entrepreneurialism.
Betrayal Of Imagination
The article was written by Jennifer McLune (ironically enough, the main character on my CD is named Jennifer. Maybe I did that sub-conciously) in response to this excerpt from Kevin Powell's "Note's of a Hip Hop Head" from the book Who Shot Ya? Three Decades of Hiphop Photography
Indeed, like rock & roll, hip-hop sometimes makes you think we men don't like women much at all, except to objectify them as trophy pieces or, as contemporary vernacular mandates, as baby mommas, chickenheads, or bitches. But just as it was unfair to demonize men of color in the 60s solely as wild-eyed radicals when what they wanted, amidst their fury, was a little freedom and a little power, today it is wrong to categorically dismiss hip-hop without taking into serious consideration the socioeconomic conditions (and the many record labels that eagerly exploit and benefit from the ignorance of many of these young artists) that have led to the current state of affairs. Or, to paraphrase the late Tupac Shakur, we were given this world, we did not make it.
Ms. McLune opens her article in the following paragraph:
To hip-hop's apologists: You were given this world and you glorify it. You were given this world and you protect it. You were given this world and you benefit from it. You were given this world and even in your wildest dreams you refuse to imagine anything else but this world. And anyone who attacks your misogynistic fantasy and offers an alternative vision is a hater, or worse, an enemy who just doesn't get it. What is there to get? There is nothing deep or new about misogyny, materialism, violence and homophobia. The hardest part isn't recognizing it, but ending it. Calling it unacceptable and an enemy of us all. Refusing to be mesmerized, seduced or confused by what hip-hop has come to signify: a betrayal of our imagination as a people.
"Refusing to be mesmerized, seduced, or confused by what hip hop has come to signify: a betrayal of our imagination as a people" I couldn't have said it better. Let's forget for a minute that we are discussing the betrayal of women; Hip Hop in many instances has betrayed our imagination as a people! I know I sound like the old man when I say "back when I was growing up...." but really take a listen to some of the stuff that gets a lot of radio play. Most of it, and the rappers who created it, sorely lack in creativity. Definitely not all of hip hop suffers from this, but so much so that marginal rappers today are considered "hot".
Fighting To Be Heard
Kevin Powell’s "socio-economic" explanation for the sexism in hip-hop is a way to silence feminist critiques of the culture: It is to make an understanding of the misogynistic objectification of black women in hip-hop so elusive that we can't grasp it long enough to wring the neck of its power over us. His argument completely ignores the fact that women, too, are raised in this environment of poverty and violence, but have yet to produce the same negative and hateful representation of black men that male rappers are capable of making against women.
Hip-hop owes its success to the ideology of woman-hating. It creates, perpetuates and reaps the rewards of objectification. Sexism and homophobia saturate hip-hop culture, and any deviation from these forms of bigotry is made marginal to its most dominant and lucrative expressions. Few artists dare to embody equality and respect between the sexes through their music; those who do have to fight to be heard above the dominant chorus of misogyny.
Now I would have to disagree that hip hop's success is due to woman-hating. Rap music has been popular for a long time, and woman-hating hasn't always been the mainstay of it. Once Black Consciousness was phased out and replaced by "gangster-rap", woman-hating was a big part of it. As Ms. McLune makes not of, those who deviate from what's popular usually has a fight on their hands if they want to be heard. I realize this as I have embarked on a journey to make music that definitely does not fit in to what is "popular" these days. But I don't see it as a fight. We will make our music, and our expectation is that those who is seeking that type of music will be attracted to it in one way or another.
Female Rappers
Unlike men, women in hip-hop don’t speak in a collective voice in defense of themselves. The pressure on women to be hyper-feminine and hyper-sexual for the pleasure of men, and the constant threat of being called a bitch, a ho – or worse a dyke – as a result of being strong, honest, and self-possessed, are real within hip-hop culture, and the black community at large. Unless women agree to compromise their truth, their self-respect, their unity with other women, and instead play dutiful daughter to the phallus that represents hip-hop culture, they will be either targetted and slandered, or ignored altogether. As a result, female rappers are often just as male-identified, violent, materialistic and ignorant as their male peers.
Well, Ms McLune, you have a point there. There aren't any Queen Latifah's, Lauren Hill's, or even Yo Yo's in mainstream rap right now. I'm admittedly not as into rap as I once was, so it should be no suprise when I say that I'm hard pressed to name any female rappers other than Nick Minaj, and she doesn't even have an album out. Maybe it will come to me before the end of this blog post, but I just don't know of any female artists out right now. I certainly don't hear them on mainstream radio.
Who You Calling A Bitch!?
Some women sing along to woman-hating lyrics because they’ve convinced themselves that Snoop, Jay-Z, Ludacris and others aren’t talking about them. They are talking about women who act like bitches and hoes and thus deserve to called bitches and hoes. When do women ask what men deserve? Too many of us sing along to woman-hating lyrics because we have allowed men to decide which women are worthy of respect and which women are asking to be called names. But as long as men define the terms upon which any woman is worthy of respect, we are all bitches and hoes. And as along as we allow men to divide and label us, they’ve conquered us all.
Not much for me to say after that. You may want to read that paragraph once again....
I'll conclude this right here. Again, if you want to read the entire article click on the hyperlink at the top of the blog.
Before I go I must say that I see the irony in my own project, a 30-something male making music for young girls. Aside from the fact that females have male ghost-writers in all genres, I realize that it is time to put out some music that goes against the grain. My now 13 year old nephew who was part of the inspiration for the idea to create a CD for kids recently told me he was joining a group of a couple of other kids who want to be rappers. The raps he writes contain (drum roll please) "gangster" lyrics! Why, because that is what he sees and hears constantly. So if your daughter or neice is seeing and hearing the same thing as my nephew, and she decided to start rapping, what is she going to write about? Uhhhm, yeah. I'll keep you posted about my project.
Below is a video clip of one of the young ladies that will be on my project. I asked her a few questions, and here are her answers, unscripted, unrehearsed....
Don't forget to comment, and be sure to follow the blog! Peace!!
Please note, in the article the author refers to "Hip Hop", when she is mostly talking about Rap Music. Granted there may be sexism in Hip Hop as a culture, but it is most blatant in the music. Hip Hop is a culture, NOT just rap music. The elements of hip hop include: Breakin (dancing), Emceeing (rapping), Graffiti Art, Deejayin, and Knowledge (which are considered the Five Pillars of Hip Hop). Hip hop also includes Beatboxin, Street Fashion, Street Language, and Street Entrepreneurialism.
Betrayal Of Imagination
The article was written by Jennifer McLune (ironically enough, the main character on my CD is named Jennifer. Maybe I did that sub-conciously) in response to this excerpt from Kevin Powell's "Note's of a Hip Hop Head" from the book Who Shot Ya? Three Decades of Hiphop Photography
Indeed, like rock & roll, hip-hop sometimes makes you think we men don't like women much at all, except to objectify them as trophy pieces or, as contemporary vernacular mandates, as baby mommas, chickenheads, or bitches. But just as it was unfair to demonize men of color in the 60s solely as wild-eyed radicals when what they wanted, amidst their fury, was a little freedom and a little power, today it is wrong to categorically dismiss hip-hop without taking into serious consideration the socioeconomic conditions (and the many record labels that eagerly exploit and benefit from the ignorance of many of these young artists) that have led to the current state of affairs. Or, to paraphrase the late Tupac Shakur, we were given this world, we did not make it.
Ms. McLune opens her article in the following paragraph:
To hip-hop's apologists: You were given this world and you glorify it. You were given this world and you protect it. You were given this world and you benefit from it. You were given this world and even in your wildest dreams you refuse to imagine anything else but this world. And anyone who attacks your misogynistic fantasy and offers an alternative vision is a hater, or worse, an enemy who just doesn't get it. What is there to get? There is nothing deep or new about misogyny, materialism, violence and homophobia. The hardest part isn't recognizing it, but ending it. Calling it unacceptable and an enemy of us all. Refusing to be mesmerized, seduced or confused by what hip-hop has come to signify: a betrayal of our imagination as a people.
"Refusing to be mesmerized, seduced, or confused by what hip hop has come to signify: a betrayal of our imagination as a people" I couldn't have said it better. Let's forget for a minute that we are discussing the betrayal of women; Hip Hop in many instances has betrayed our imagination as a people! I know I sound like the old man when I say "back when I was growing up...." but really take a listen to some of the stuff that gets a lot of radio play. Most of it, and the rappers who created it, sorely lack in creativity. Definitely not all of hip hop suffers from this, but so much so that marginal rappers today are considered "hot".
Fighting To Be Heard
Kevin Powell’s "socio-economic" explanation for the sexism in hip-hop is a way to silence feminist critiques of the culture: It is to make an understanding of the misogynistic objectification of black women in hip-hop so elusive that we can't grasp it long enough to wring the neck of its power over us. His argument completely ignores the fact that women, too, are raised in this environment of poverty and violence, but have yet to produce the same negative and hateful representation of black men that male rappers are capable of making against women.
Hip-hop owes its success to the ideology of woman-hating. It creates, perpetuates and reaps the rewards of objectification. Sexism and homophobia saturate hip-hop culture, and any deviation from these forms of bigotry is made marginal to its most dominant and lucrative expressions. Few artists dare to embody equality and respect between the sexes through their music; those who do have to fight to be heard above the dominant chorus of misogyny.
Now I would have to disagree that hip hop's success is due to woman-hating. Rap music has been popular for a long time, and woman-hating hasn't always been the mainstay of it. Once Black Consciousness was phased out and replaced by "gangster-rap", woman-hating was a big part of it. As Ms. McLune makes not of, those who deviate from what's popular usually has a fight on their hands if they want to be heard. I realize this as I have embarked on a journey to make music that definitely does not fit in to what is "popular" these days. But I don't see it as a fight. We will make our music, and our expectation is that those who is seeking that type of music will be attracted to it in one way or another.
Female Rappers
Unlike men, women in hip-hop don’t speak in a collective voice in defense of themselves. The pressure on women to be hyper-feminine and hyper-sexual for the pleasure of men, and the constant threat of being called a bitch, a ho – or worse a dyke – as a result of being strong, honest, and self-possessed, are real within hip-hop culture, and the black community at large. Unless women agree to compromise their truth, their self-respect, their unity with other women, and instead play dutiful daughter to the phallus that represents hip-hop culture, they will be either targetted and slandered, or ignored altogether. As a result, female rappers are often just as male-identified, violent, materialistic and ignorant as their male peers.
Well, Ms McLune, you have a point there. There aren't any Queen Latifah's, Lauren Hill's, or even Yo Yo's in mainstream rap right now. I'm admittedly not as into rap as I once was, so it should be no suprise when I say that I'm hard pressed to name any female rappers other than Nick Minaj, and she doesn't even have an album out. Maybe it will come to me before the end of this blog post, but I just don't know of any female artists out right now. I certainly don't hear them on mainstream radio.
Who You Calling A Bitch!?
Some women sing along to woman-hating lyrics because they’ve convinced themselves that Snoop, Jay-Z, Ludacris and others aren’t talking about them. They are talking about women who act like bitches and hoes and thus deserve to called bitches and hoes. When do women ask what men deserve? Too many of us sing along to woman-hating lyrics because we have allowed men to decide which women are worthy of respect and which women are asking to be called names. But as long as men define the terms upon which any woman is worthy of respect, we are all bitches and hoes. And as along as we allow men to divide and label us, they’ve conquered us all.
Not much for me to say after that. You may want to read that paragraph once again....
I'll conclude this right here. Again, if you want to read the entire article click on the hyperlink at the top of the blog.
Before I go I must say that I see the irony in my own project, a 30-something male making music for young girls. Aside from the fact that females have male ghost-writers in all genres, I realize that it is time to put out some music that goes against the grain. My now 13 year old nephew who was part of the inspiration for the idea to create a CD for kids recently told me he was joining a group of a couple of other kids who want to be rappers. The raps he writes contain (drum roll please) "gangster" lyrics! Why, because that is what he sees and hears constantly. So if your daughter or neice is seeing and hearing the same thing as my nephew, and she decided to start rapping, what is she going to write about? Uhhhm, yeah. I'll keep you posted about my project.
Below is a video clip of one of the young ladies that will be on my project. I asked her a few questions, and here are her answers, unscripted, unrehearsed....
Don't forget to comment, and be sure to follow the blog! Peace!!
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