Friday, September 18, 2009

1789

That's where are in history today. The French Revolution, the first Congress, Jefferson in Paris-they seem to be getting it. I'm actually having fun doing Richard's class.

Tomorrow night, by the way, is the final Memphis Vocal Arts Performance. It's gonna be weird to see it go-Tom has put so much into it. The last year, though, they couldn't pay me and therefore I didn't do all the shows. So I guess it's been a gradual process of letting go.

I think MVAE will return as a completely volunteer organization. That's my gut feeling.

Come see us tomorrow night if you can at St. John's Episcopal-7 30 pm...

Steve

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Lord, I'm glad I was not born a gamblin' man....

Tennessee is not doing well in football. Memphis is not doing well in football (but what 's new?). Ohio State lost to USC. Not a good Saturday for me in sports last week.

I'm just sayin...

Steve

Thursday, September 3, 2009

holding em back...

I'm at Brownsville Road today, an elementary school to which I enjoy coming. I've already encountered so many ways in which the students are "held back", but not by teachers wanting to fail them.

For those of you outside Memphis, there's been a ruling lately that a student cannot fail from Kindergarten through third grade. Astonishing as that may be to some of you, the feeling is that it is more detrimental to hold a student back than let them continue to the next grade at this tender age.

When questioned about it, the administration says that even if the student does not come to school, they will be sent on. They'll run into some truency issues, but they will be passed on.

I see these little folks and my observation is this-They are DESPERATE for someone to push them-to make them, if necessary, complete their work and have the watermark experience of a learning revelation. The smile on their faces when they "get it" is worth everything else one puts up with to get them there.

These students are being held back by parents who don't care and adults who don't care. We should care and we should hold them back if need be-but push them forward as well.