Your A Commie Maybe

 I was subbing at a local middle school on Monday.  I don't sub very much at middle schools or highschools compared to how often I am in K-5  buildings.  This can be explained in a joke or with a more detailed explanation.  I will do both.

The Joke: They don't pay me enough to sub at Middle Schools, and too much to sub at high schools.

The Truth of the joke: Someone told me once that the key to working with middle schoolers is building relationships.  It is very difficult if not impossible, to build relationships with middle schools when you are a sub and you changing classes every 40 minutes.  The reason why I think I'm over paid to teach at High School is that compared to elementary, where you are generally teaching for the majority of the day, and middle school, where you are herding  disinterested and disrespectful cats in 45 minute intervals, you are basically taking attendance, announcing  the assignment and reading a book.  

For the 3 years prior to this school year, I spent the majority of my subbing at middle schools.  This was entirely as a long term sub, or a building sub.  Both of those positions involve getting to know the students and them getting to know me.  As a result, I was able to do far more teaching, far more relationship building and slightly less cat herding.  

Monday, I was subbing for a teacher I used to work with at the middle school I was  working the last 3 school years and I have subbed in her resource room 3 or 4 times already this year.  As a resource teacher, I either co-teach with another teacher or teach smaller classes of 5-8 students.  I also get to teach Math, which is one of my passions.

But that's not why I brought you here today,  (I know 5 paragraphs of intro, and not even my point.  What can I say I'm a professional communicator.) 

Today, I am here to share with you a video from the Social Studies class I co-taught on Monday.  

When Nothing's Sacred

A few weeks ago I saw this song by Billy Sprague on Spotify and was touched by how relevant it still is.  

 Most of the lines of the song start with People need or But. So in the notebook my daughter gave me for Christmas, I made two columns.  On one I wrote "People need ...  " and the other I wrote "but..." I have reprinted it without permission below.  But, I will add that the song was written by Billy Sprague and appears on his 1993 album The Wind and The Wave.  I just like how when laid out like this it looks like a list poem.  Even when you add the music it really is.

Note: There is a chorus in the middle of the song which also repeats at the end.  I will write the chorus at the end and put an * each time the chorus appears in the song.

When Nothing's Sacred

by Billy Sprague

People Need...                                                       But...

True love                                                              Chase infatuation

A hope                                                                  Live on short supply

Wisdom                                                                Get more education

Forgiveness                                                          Settle  things eye for eye

Identity                                                                 Satisfied with titles

A living God                                                         Seem content with idols

Destiny                                                                  Settle for careers*

Faith                                                                       Place their bets on science

A refuge                                                                  Stay out in the rain

Each other                                                              Rely on self reliance

Christmas                                                               Settle for a holiday

Dignity                                                                   Survive on ego

Truth                                                                       Will take an alibi

A savior                                                                   Much prefer a hero

(Most) long for heaven                                           Have settled for the sky*

And the soul remains unsettled and the world a wilderness.

In a time when nothings sacred and souls settle for less.

I really wanted to share a live performance of this song and could not find one of Billy Sprague performing it but did find this video of Gary Hall Peck covering it. I think this is a very good rendition of it.

 

A Packers & Bears Fan Reaction to the Wild Card Round

I absolute this video. When you get to the 1:42 mark, that was definitely me the entire first half.

Dave’s Eulogy For His Mom

Today, it has been 1 month since the passing of my Mom.  This is the first time I have mentioned here on the blog.  It is still too raw for me to process, but I thought this might be a good place to post the brief comments I made at her visitation service the day before her funeral.

    

Should Mark Buehrle be Elected into the Hall of Fame?

Today is the 5th of January and the first day of the second semester.  As good of time as any to get the discussion going about who should be elected into Baseballs Hall of Fame as the announcement as to whether and who the Baseball Writer's Association of America (BBWAA) elected to that August group will be made later this month.  

Here is some analysis as to whether Mark Buehrle should be enshrined in Cooperstown.  I'll be back later this month to share my feelings on Buerhle and the others who are appearing  the BBWAA ballot.