If the Slipper Fits...

I had been boycotting the NCAA tournament since my Hokies were wrongly left out, but I just couldn't help myself this weekend. I was rooting for Butler and VCU big time.

I got my wish, but I wonder how the ratings will be next weekend. When George Mason made the Final Four in '06, the ratings for the Final Four hit record lows. People say they love the Cinderella stories, but when it comes to watching the actual games, it seems that people would rather watch the big boys battle it out.

Lamentations, Teacher Style

From: Microsoft Clip Art Gallery

I witnessed one of my colleagues crying in frustration at lunch over the behavior of a student we both share. It seems like more teachers at our school are complaining about student discipline than ever before (even though we lead the county in suspensions). I have a class of my own that frustrates me on a daily basis.

There seems to be two sides to the discipline issue: the teachers want a law-and-order environment, and the students, administrators and school board want to sweep discipline under the rug. The students don't want to be hassled, and the higher ups want a nice shiny graduation rate.

I've thought about this situation a lot (OK, maybe daily), and I think there are some things we need to implement:
*Students pay their own tuition after four years (no more redshirt seniors)
*Set a maximum amount of suspensions before permanent removal from school
*Once students get sent to an alternative school, don't send them back to the old school
*Parent conferences with chronic offenders--no school until the parent comes in

Every student should have an education, but they don't have the right to disrupt the education of others.

Diary of a Wimpy Teacher

I'm proud of my service in the Marine Corps, but I'll admit I didn't have the toughest job around--videographer.

On the other hand, Force Recon is about as hard core as it gets. These guys jump out of planes, swim out of submarines, and do other ninja-related things. I showed my students a couple of videos from Discovery's show Surviving the Cut, which shows the training that Force Recon Marines go through. As if I didn't already feel out of shape...

Et tu, Rush?

From: wizbangblue.com

I've been a Rush Limbaugh listener for nearly 20 years. In fact, I used to schedule my college classes around his show, when possible. So it pained me greatly to read the transcript of his blanket proclamation that all teachers are lazy scam artists suckling at the state teat.

My students give me a hard time about the number of jobs I've had, but the fact is, after running my own business, being a Marine and working in the television industry, I can say that teaching is the most mentally demanding job I've ever had. It's anything but easy, Rush. Please try it sometime.

Not So Fab?

ESPN's fabulous 30 for 30 series recently aired a documentary on the Fab Five, Michigan's vaunted freshmen who played in two national title games. The doc was great, and it brought back many memories from my time in college--I went to college the same year those guys did.

I never rooted for the Fab Five. I disliked all of the theatrics and baggy pants (I did buy a pair of black adidas hi-tops and black socks, though). One comment made in the movie that made waves were the comments of executive producer (and Fab Five member) Jalen Rose, who said he felt at the time that the blacks that played for Duke were "Uncle Toms."

Needless to say, there were people that were not happy with Rose's comments, especially Grant Hill. Hill fired off an editorial that called out the attitudes of the Fab Five.

I understand why Hill reacted the way he did, but I think he missed the context of Rose's quote. Rose didn't say he still thought that the Duke players are still Uncle Toms, he just thought that back then. I know there are things I thought when I was 18 that I definitely don't think now. I'm sure all of us can say the same.

Outside of the Bubble...Again

My students don't understand why I'm so bitter about my Hokies being left out of the NCAA tournament, but I wouldn't expect them to. Carolina and Duke fans haven't been through what Hokie fans have been through the last four years.

Honestly, in '08 and '09, I knew we were on the outside of the bubble. I was crossing my fingers hoping we'd get in, but wasn't surprised when we were relegated to the NIT. However, the last two years have me scratching my head.

Last year, we went 10-6 in conference. The pundits all said that beating GT in Atlanta sealed the deal...but, we were left out. We took some deserved heat for our weak out-of-conference schedule, and a one-and-done in the ACC Tournament supposedly knocked us off the bubble.

Another point the selection committee held against us last year was our weak non-conference schedule. In years past, losing to really bad teams had cost us a bid; in 2010, we beat all the bad teams but I guess those teams were just...too bad.

So, this year we upgraded the conference schedule, playing Kansas St., Penn St., UNLV and Oklahoma St., in addition to playing Purdue in the ACC-Big 10 challenge. And we went 9-7 in the ACC. And we beat #1 Duke. And we won two games in the ACC tournament.

My main frustration is that we seem to be aiming at a target that moves every year. One year, RPI is emphasized. The next year, it's road wins. Then it's the schedule. I thought I was the only one that thought this when it first came into my mind, but the BCS is a fairer system than what college basketball foists on us.

Lockout

So, the NFLPA and the owners couldn't agree to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, sending ESPN and the Twitterverse into a frenzy. Despite my love of the Redskins, I'm really not that into the NFL--just don't touch my college football.

Besides my apathy towards the NFL, the other reason I'm not as excited about these stories as the people that cover the league is the timing. Yes, there's no CBA, but worrying about a labor agreement in March is like worrying about presidential approval polls 18 months before an election. In short, a lot can change in a few months.

Right now, there's no need to panic. Fans aren't missing anything. But...if there's no agreement by July, then NFL fans should start to worry.

You're Fired

Q: What does it take to get an award-winning actor fired from the highest-rated comedy on television?
A: Apparently this.

If I was a betting man, I would have lost money on Charlie Sheen's employment status. Despite all of his antics, Charlie Sheen was simply too valuable to CBS for them to let him go, or so I thought.

This entire saga has been an interesting point of discussion for my classes. Many of my students don't understand why ole Charlie's in trouble, but it's nice to see that someone that valuable to a company can get canned like the rest of us.

Best. Field Trip. Ever.

Every year, I take students to the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament in Greensboro to volunteer in the media relations department. My students distribute statistics to the media, assist in the media credentials office and hold the microphones for post game press conferences. And they eat a ton of food!

I think teachers have brands, just like products do. What do students think about when they talk about your class? You're the teacher that [fill in the blank]. For me, I'm the teacher that takes kids to the ACC tournament.

So...Parents Need to Be Involved?

There's been lots of talk for many years about how to improve our country's education system, and much of the recent talk seems to center around standardized tests and teacher quality. So it's great to see a local middle school teacher opine about the role of parents in education.

Even prior to teaching, I believed that the quality of a child's school is only as good as the parents demand it to be. Nothing in my five years of teaching has changed my mind about this. If parents don't demand a good school (and put in their own sweat equity), then they won't get one.