The Grand Introduction

In honor of an annoying Facebook fad, here are the 25 things you might want to know about me and this blog.

1. I teach middle school in Silicon Valley, California
2. My students are funny.
3. 7th grade is the best. In 6th grade, they're too much like children, and in 8th grade, they're working so hard at pretending to be adults that they're quite rude.
4. I still like 6th and 8th graders, they're just not as cool.
5. I'm a real person, too. I don't identify myself as a teacher, and I don't introduce myself that way. However, this blog is about teaching. If you want to know me, look on my other blogs.

6. Teaching would be the best job in the world if not for politics and stupidity.

7. My school district has way too much of both.
8. I'm going to try to keep this blog relatively anonymous in order to preserve my job.
9. Speaking of perserving my job, I have a new boss this year.
10. This new boss makes my life very difficult.
11. I'm going to try to avoid passing judgment on this boss. I'll state the actions and decisions, you decide whatever you will.
12. Speaking of politics, I often attend school board meetings.
13. I've been unofficially reprimanded for speaking at school board meetings.
14. I've always wondered why the school board was upset with what I said. It was a good question that wasn't answered anywhere else.
15. I've observed school board members wasting time at public meetings insulting each other.
16. I'm going to institute the same policy for district personnel as for school site management: observations, not responses.
17. I'll also tell about my students, because they're incredibly intuitive and entertaining, but I'm going to protect their privacy. I'll probably use initials or nicknames, but they'll be in code, just in case one of them runs across this site.
18. I tease my students, but try not to offend them.
19. My school is unique.
20. I am part of a teaching team that actually collaborates and researches and innovates and ________ (fill in your own corporate buzzword here 'cause dude, we do it).
21. My brother thinks I'm crazy for deciding to be a teacher.
22. Did I mention that 7th graders make me laugh?
23. Future posts will show more writing skill.
24. Future posts will be more thoughtful.
25. I don't just teach reading and writing, I introduce my students to reality.