There is very little nice to say.

Today was an exercise in frustration for many reasons, many of them not school related. If the blogging becomes light or scarce or non-existent over the next two weeks, please understand that it is a result of my impending move and not a reflection of my dedication to the craft or the class. But if someone doesn't have something nice to say...well, I'll often say it anyway, which is a bad habit on my part.

One interesting thing that came out of the meeting I attended this morning was reinforcement of the idea that everyone wants what they can't have. A teacher from another high school in the district raved and raved about how much she enjoyed the previous evening's Back to School Night. Said teacher explained that it blew away the Report Card Night the school used to do, and she appreciated the fact that she could lay down the law to the attendants about the responsibility that comes with education.

Oddly enough, my experience with Back to School Night was just the opposite. Ten minute mini-periods usually don't provide enough time to really allow teachers to get across a meaningful point. Plus, the people who attend Back to School Night are not (in my humble opinion) the folks who need any kind of law laid down.

Meanwhile, Report Card Night, an event that I believe takes place shortly after the end of the first quarter, does allow parents to focus on what they perceive to be the problem subjects. While that may mean long lines for certain teachers, the parents can take the time to really find answers to any questions they have. My only hope is that the English teachers get a well-ventilated area this year, as the small gym doesn't have much in the way of air conditioning and a sweaty teacher isn't a pretty sight.

Frosh
You worked out of the grammar book on parts of speech due to my absence.

Seniors
We discussed the book options some more and set a lock-in date of September 23 in conjunction with the book check date of September 7. We then finished off our discussion about ethical essentialism and ethical relativism.