Dr. Pezz asked me to write this. I tried to pawn it off on co-blogger reality-based educator, but he screamed at me, made vague allusions to committing violence against my person, and, most egregiously, demanded an immediate and substantial raise. As I'd pegged him for a communist, this was very disappointing indeed. So here goes:
1. I'm fanatical about bluegrass music.
2. As a result, I will go anywhere, do anything, to play fiddle with good bluegrass bands, and money (or abject lack of it) is no object.
3. As a result of that, I spend an awful lot of time hanging around with redneck banjo players, and studiously avoid any and all discussion of politics or education. In any case, many banjo players believe all education begins and ends with Earl Scruggs (and if you don't know who he is, shame on you).
4. I spent several months in Switzerland as a backup musician for the daughter of a very famous writer. Regrettably, she never became nearly as famous. She recorded a song I wrote, promised to pay me money for it, and never did. Perhaps she pegged me for a communist (There's a lot of that going around).
5. I started out licensed as a high school English teacher. But NYC, after one semester as an English teacher, assigned me to teach music, math, special education, and music again. Then they made me teach ESL, which I loved. I've since become certified to teach ESL and Spanish.
6. I'm good with classroom control. As a result, a former supervisor told me she was going to remove me from ESL and make me teach all Spanish 1 classes, since the Spanish teacher couldn't control them. If I refused, she promised she'd give me a schedule that would preclude my second job as a college instructor. I got a UFT transfer to another school (Sorry folks, but we gave them away in 05). When my next supervisor, who I adored, asked me to please teach a Spanish class because the other teacher couldn't control it, I said "Sure."
7. We adopted a little girl from Colombia. Although we stupidly did it ourselves, without lawyers, or help, or knowing what we were doing, it's turned out to have been the best thing we've ever done. I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone.
I will not assign anyone else to write this, as RBE now has me too frightened. But if anyone wishes to do so, please be my guest.
And if you've never heard Earl Scruggs, for goodness' sake, watch this:
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