Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Raccoon Girl Treads The Boards

Smoky Eye!

Tonight was Laura's first Little Mermaid show. She had to show up wearing black eyeliner and mascara for the makeup ladies to start with. She did it herself; this pic is after her first attempt, before I got in there and smudged her up a bit. Then she goes, "I look too goth!" And I'm like, "You're playing a lost soul who has been enslaved by a sea witch. It's not too goth. And how do you know what too goth looks like? Also hush."

So her show was from 7-8:30, then she had to come home and do her homework, which took until after 10. And it was the lamest dumb ass busywork that there could be: Answering 18 questions for a "study guide" in science, and then turning right around and writing definitions to vocabulary words, right out of the same chapter. This was not a high-level learning activity. And I have never complained about a teacher in seven years of Laura's schooling, but I'm going to email the principal and register my discontent. This teacher has a false notion of "rigor" that she seems to be reaching for, but what is revealed in all of her assignments is that she's about one chapter ahead of the students AND she doesn't know what's most important and significant in the material. She was hired to fill in for a teacher who fell ill and had to retire suddenly, and I remember when at curriculum night, she boasted that before she took the job teaching, she was in "private industry." Oh! Oh well my goodness! Tell us a story of the tycoons or magnates you have known! Children, how lucky we are!

Not to be a bitch or anything.

I didn't go to the show tonight, but I'm going to--I kid you not--the next five. My parents are accompanying us tomorrow, then Matt's mom on Friday, and then I'm taking pictures at the Saturday shows. I can't wait to see it all put together with the lights and the costumes. When I picked up L and her friend after the show, they were bubbling with excitement, even after a full school day and then hours at the theater. Youth. I hope by the end of the run, we are still so excited and not collapsed in a little goth puddle.

Anway, that's all from here. xoxox

PS: Weird day, huh? Post-election hangover, only in a good way. Coming down from the nerves? Sleep deprivation? Dunno, something. I tried on a bunch of hats in REI and that soothed me. How are you?


10 comments:

Amy said...

Maybe she worked for the little man on the Monopoly board! Tycoons! I expect a full update after you email the principal.

Break a leg, Laura!! I wish I had a tenth of your energy. :) xo

David said...

Snort. "Private industry." What? Is she doing like the Romneys and gracing us with "public service" now?

Star said...

Coincidentally, tomorrow and Saturday I'm spending all day at a conference on the future of teaching foreign languages in Italy.

Elizabeth said...

My sixth grade son chose the day after election day to completely and utterly bust my bubble of joy -- with his ridiculous homework, recalcitrance and -- well, I'm exhausted.

Erika W said...

I would pay good money to see a showdown between you and that "teacher."

Can't wait to see pictures of the play and hear a full report on that too.

Common Household Mom said...

When my daughter was in 7th grade, her science teacher assigned the class Word Searches, and then went and played Sims on his computer during class. It was a travesty.

Cassi said...

My daughter was in a musical play last year (Pirates of the Curry Bean, and the script was pretty darn funny). Her biggest complaint was that the lights were so hot, and (playing a male character) she had to wear long pants and a jacket. Luckily no make-up was required, since it would have just melted right down her face :-)

While there are things to complain about regarding her school, homework is not one of them. They don't believe in it really, so it's a rare occurrence.

Nina said...

"the tycoons or magnates you have known" - ha! This is truly The Leading Suburban Matron Site on the Net, no matter what others may say.

Amy said...

+1

Jane said...

I am already geared up to complain when Story comes home with some sort of time-consuming busywork. Good for you, and thanks for blogging so much this month! It's nice to see what you're up to.