Friday, June 10, 2011

Why Mark McGwire should not be in the classroom


Is it not 2011? Are we not educating a future generation?

"A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started...He is going to move in and take over your churches, schools, universities, and corporations. The fate of humanity is in his hands." -Abraham Lincoln

So, leaving out Abe's blatant sexism and issues with slavery and racism, we can still take this quote for face value: This little ones are going to be big ones, and when I'm old and weak, they will be deciding my fate.

So why this?


Forget about the disaster situation that is this classroom. Hand to God, I almost fainted when I stepped into the room. There are random stacks of papers everywhere in this classroom, not one of which is close to neat. There are paper scraps on top of mothballs on top of random geometric figures that were assembled years ago and left to collect dust in the nether-regions of this class. Forget about that.

That's Mark McGwire. Mark FREAKING McGwire. Big Mac. Mr. I plead the 5th. This is the guy that thought it was okay to use a steroid that was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the IOC and the NFL, just because it wasn't banned in the MLB.

And he's taking notes on earthquakes with the kids right across from the Character Counts poster.

I don't expect the students to really know who McGwire is on a social level, they're definitely to young for that, but it would be interesting to hear a student raise questions about why it is that Mr. McGwire gets to hold a place of prestige in the classroom, right next to Griffey and Gwynn.

I'm sure McGwire is sorry, and I'm sure he's a great guy. I bet he even serves as a role model for young players in terms of what not to do. But he has no place here, towering 6 feet overhead.

Hired and "The Intern Situation Explained"

Yes, yes yes....yes yes yes....yes yes yes.

So I have finally been hired.

After a few trips up to L.A. and some demo lesson action, I was left feeling as though all my efforts had been for not. I did my demo on a Monday, and was told that I would hear the verdict by the following Monday. After two weeks had passed, I naturally assumed that they had passed on me, and that it would be more grinding for Mr. Smith.

Another week passed by before I got word from some of my professional references that the school, Celerity Charter, had actually been conducting a background check! This was good news that became nervous news when I received a call from Celerity asking for MORE professional references (I had listed a principal and two guide teachers). After giving contact information for two teachers that I have subbed for, another week passed before hearing anything again.

It wasn't until the following Friday that I received a call from the Board of Directors offering me the position contingent on my placement in the Special Ed Mild/Mod program at CSUDH. And this is where it gets confusing.

In classic Mr. Smith fashion, I have to delay my true enjoyment and celebration until CSU Dominguez Hills says it's okay for me to have a job.

It seems that, while Celerity Schools has offered me employment, CSUDH has to verify that this is a proper teaching job (it is), and more so, that it fits their description of a proper Special Education class. The bottom line here is that, even after earning this job, CSUDH has the final word.

There is no job with Celerity without CSUDH. There is no program with CSUDH without Celerity. And the biggest issue is that all of this is out of my hands.

Oooooooooh well....