bhbonds's blog

Arne's speech

I agree on the whole with most everything Duncan has to say. I remember saying a lot of those things several years ago during my Rotary interview. Teaching as a profession has been too long like working in a fast food joint-- a low-paying job that's easy to get, that too often turns the preparation of wholesome sustenance into a slipshod assembly-line process...and more times than not ends up with too many of the people one would least want handling something important doing exactly that.

The phasing out of the baby-boomers is not an added difficulty to the state of education; it is an opportunity, an opportunity to make the changes to the other problems Duncan addresses and have, not just a new generation of teachers, but a new evolution of teachers take the reigns.

Like warrior-monks.

I'd like to see a new wave of teachers who do more than teach to tests and who rely more on trenched experience than empty research. It is a perfect time to revamp our schools of education, which I must admit I have always thought were Mickey Mouse courses. It would be nice to see a change of emphasis from a minimum of subject area classes and too many less-than-valuable education courses to a system that requires a great deal of core subject-work and supplements that in-depth knowledge with a greater hands-on apprenticeship.

The only thing I particularly disagreed with was Duncan's over-reliance on number-crunching. If we set out to raise the bar for teachers, I don't think we will need as much data to ensure good education. The type of teachers who would meet the new criteria and pass through the improved coursework should have the aptitude to discern skill diagnostics, lesson effectiveness, effectivness of differentiation without converting all this first-hand knowledge to numbers then to charts and then back to hands-on work again. If we are truly expecting to work towards having a better grade of teachers, then we should expect these teacher to be adept at what is at heart a very organic, personal, moment-critical job. A sharp eye, good understanding, and a GRADEBOOK should be enough for the type of teachers we are aiming to make. Measuring a teacher's effectiveness from the admin's point of view should be easily accomplished with results on periodic communal tests. As is, at least from my admittedly VERY limited experience, the amount of data-collection, organization, and bureaucratic paperwork I am required to do tends to stifle rather than aid my efforts.

I had to euthanize Loreli today.

it was kinda sad.

The three week apotheosis. It approaches.

I recently implemented a three week plan to better my organizations skills and harness my creativity in the classroom.

The results have already proven explosive, the data trend points to only one possible outcome, and the process, now begun, seems irreversible...

Upon my personal realization, I've given my North Panola MTC colleagues notice, and it's only fair I give y'all the same:

In three weeks time, at the current rate of personal growth, I expect a golden transformation. A glowing apotheosis. I, Brent Bonds, will have become a teaching god.

Already, tremors today were felt as far away as Hacks Cross. There were some injuries sustained in Coffeeville.

Early reports attributed the dangerous rumblings to sudden activity of the Meeman-Shelby fault, but it was later confirmed the seismic waves were indeed only the transmutations of the sheer awesomeness of my third-block lesson on antecedents. The injuries occurred just after I moved into Compensatory Reading, focusing on summaries.

The wheels are set in motion. There's nothing to be done.

There are things you should do to prepare and protect yourself:
 
Shield your eyes.
It would be folly to turn a corner and risk seeing me with your bare mortal eyes, due to the blinding white glow of my educational genius. If you have dark sunglasses, I recommend you keep them on your person at all times. Stowing a welding mask in a duffle-bag may prove an invaluable precaution.

High SPF sunblock and lead-lined clothing would not be a bad idea, either. Remember the value of a refrigerator. It may save your life.

Protect your ego.
It is only natural that you feel a little inadequate in my presence. Fear not, little ones. I beg you to try and see me still as only a man, laughable as though this may seem. I ask for your own sakes that you don't try to hold yourself to my standard. You are only human. Remember this.

Go on with life as usual.
Don't feel you have to change. McDowell, you may still bump fists with me. Francis, you should still feel completely comfortable disagreeing with absolutely everything I say. Heinz, you may feel free to continue to challenge me to Scrabble games. I will continue to let you win, as always, keeping your sense of confidence foremost in my mind.