sufficient

madlibs

I like to put my friends into my vocabulary quizzes... Last week, Kate and Garrett starred.

Garrett's extreme ________________ caused him to pay little attention to people's feelings and be concerned only with getting the job done quickly and efficiently. It bothered him to no end when his employees only did a _____________ job and did not rise to the high expectations he set for them. Even if they were home in bed, unable to work because of some life-threatening _______________, he still expected perfect, _________________ work out of them. He was absolutely ____________ in his belief that his employees could live up to his high standards and would not listen to anyone else's opinions to the contrary.

His unswerving high expectations began to cause a mood of serious gloom and _______________ within the company. Even his most _____________ employees who, in the past, had always been willing to agree to his every request, began to demonstrate ___________ habits, arriving at least half an hour late to work everyday. Garrett found this behavior horribly _______________ and he could not tolerate it. Unfortunately, his employees' evil, scheming _________________ to create an uprising seemed to have become such a strong force against him that he thought he was incapable of stopping the _________________.

However, most of his employees were sweet, kind, generous people without a trace of anything ____________ in them. They were brand new to any sort of terrible scheming, complete ____________ at coming up with diabolical plans. They lacked the necessary planning and forethought to carry out their plot and instead made of series of _________________ decisions which served only to get them in a huge tangled mess from which they needed someone wiser to ________________ them.

Kate to the rescue!! A fabulous teacher, she was able to communicate with the __________________ employees who lived in a dream world and had really thought they could overthrow Garrett and convince them that their plans would never work. Through a series of _____________ where the characters closely resembled the employees themselves, she taught them that evil scheming against your boss is rarely the best way to solve a problem. These ________________ stories convinced the employees they had acted wrongly. Instead, they went begging to Garrett, ___________________ at his feet that he would forgive them for their gross ________________ and keep them on as his faithful employees.

I emailed it to them, with a word bank. They looked at it late one night and did not feel like attempting it, so instead turned it into a MadLib. Here are the results:

Garrett's extreme TRANSPORTATION caused him to pay little attention to people's feelings and be concerned only with getting the job done quickly and efficiently. It bothered him to no end when his employees only did a LUSCIOUS job and did not rise to the high expectations he set for them. Even if they were home in bed, unable to work because of some life-threatening FOOT, he still expected perfect, HAPPY work out of them. He was absolutely COURTNEY in his belief that his employees could live up to his high standards and would not listen to anyone else's opinions to the contrary.

His unswerving high expectations began to cause a mood of serious gloom and SILLINESS within the company. Even his most GOOFY employees who, in the past, had always been willing to agree to his every request, began to demonstrate HAPHAZARDLY habits, arriving at least half an hour late to work everyday. Garrett found this behavior horribly CLUELESS and he could not tolerate it. Unfortunately, his employees' evil, scheming MONKEY to create an uprising seemed to have become such a strong force against him that he thought he was incapable of stopping the TRAM.

However, most of his employees were sweet, kind, generous people without a trace of anything STATUESQUE in them. They were brand new to any sort of terrible scheming, complete BRIDGE JUMPERS at coming up with diabolical plans. They lacked the necessary planning and forethought to carry out their plot and instead made of series of PUKEY decisions which served only to get them in a huge tangled mess from which they needed someone wiser to SPIT them.

Kate to the rescue!! A fabulous teacher, she was able to communicate with the SUPPORTIVE employees who lived in a dream world and had really thought they could overthrow Garrett and convince them that their plans would never work. Through a series of ANGIES where the characters closely resembled the employees themselves, she taught them that evil scheming against your boss is rarely the best way to solve a problem. These HICCUP-EY stories convinced the employees they had acted wrongly. Instead, they went begging to Garrett, WALTZING at his feet that he would forgive them for their gross SCALINGS and keep them on as his faithful employees.

posted by CP @ 5:49 PM 1 thoughts

read this

Walden, literature, history, culture, art, intellectual property.

posted by CP @ 1:23 PM 0 thoughts

walt whitman

We've made it to the mid 1800s in my American literature class this semester, which brings us to one of my favorite poets, Walt Whitman. When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer is probably my favorite poem of all time.

Given the presidential election of few weeks ago, my thoughts have turned to the political. When I teach ninth grade, I teach I Hear America Singing in conjunction with Langston Hughes' I, Too, Sing America and Angela de Hoyos' To Walt Whitman. I taught most all of the juniors I have now as freshman, so I was sad not to be able to teach that lesson and discuss the fulfillment of Hughes' poem. Instead, I decided to break them into groups and give each group a series of poems with a different theme and they would have to figure out what Whitman thought about the theme and discuss the poems. (It was a bit adventuresome...) It did however, give me the opportunity to read so much wonderful poetry. Whitman had such a beautiful vision of America, the common man, and democracy.

Souvenirs of Democracy

THE business man, the acquirer vast,
After assiduous years, surveying results, preparing for departure,
Devises houses and lands to his children—bequeaths stocks, goods—funds for a school or hospital,
Leaves money to certain companions to buy tokens, souvenirs of gems and gold;
Parceling out with care—And then, to prevent all cavil,	5
His name to his testament formally signs.
But I, my life surveying,
With nothing to show, to devise, from its idle years,
Nor houses, nor lands—nor tokens of gems or gold for my friends,
Only these Souvenirs of Democracy—In them—in all my songs—behind me leaving,	10
To You, who ever you are, (bathing, leavening this leaf especially with my breath—pressing on it a moment with my own hands;
—Here! feel how the pulse beats in my wrists!—how my heart’s-blood is swelling, contracting!)
I will You, in all, Myself, with promise to never desert you,
To which I sign my name.

posted by CP @ 4:28 PM 0 thoughts

i survived

Just thought I'd let you know. Wound up only being 7 girls. Whew. Twister, spoons, many digital cameras, The Sound of Music, monkey bread, and Trivial Pursuit were involved. And, even a few hours of sleep for all. Oh yeah- it was fun, too.

I don't often feel "old"- the other day, I even felt quite young when I realized that I'm not yet even old enough to be President. But last night, around 12:30, I felt OLD.

Tonight, it's off to Dave and Busters with the boys.

posted by CP @ 1:04 PM 0 thoughts

it's official

I've finally lost my mind. Proof, you ask? I am voluntarily having the 13 girls on the cross country team over Friday night for a sleepover. 13 teenagers. In my house. Ohmystars.

posted by CP @ 6:40 PM 3 thoughts

on vampires

Kate wants a new post. Since she lives in Prague now and I only get to talk to her every other week or so, I shall indulge her with something random.

So, I caved and I'm reading the Twilight series. My students have mixed reactions to this. Some are utterly shocked and abhorred that their literature teacher would ever read (and enjoy) such riff-raff as Twilight. For others, they've found something they can bond with me over. One offered to lend me Breaking Dawn yesterday, but I told her, given the obsessive need I have to read them when they are in my possession, it would be best if it was never at school with me. I like to remind them that is, in fact, OK to enjoy escape fiction, even if you are a literature teacher, but maintain that they are no where as good as Harry Potter.

Vampire literature now seems to come up every week at Community Group. Two of the guys in the group have even volunteered to read the first book, under the guise that they want to see for themselves what all the hype is about and whether there's more to it than just a cheesy love story. They like to say that we had to convince them to undertake this, but in reality, it was their idea.

Even the Wall Street Journal is in on it.

Labels: books

posted by CP @ 11:52 AM 1 thoughts