gamble's rambles

The Classic City »

I can’t describe how much this warms my soul. This place is the beat of my heart. 

pep/pep/

Pep Rallys… I have a love/hate relationship with them. Typically, a gym full of screaming children loses its flair after about three minutes. In all honesty, often times I’d rather spend those 45 minutes in my classroom grading, planning, etc. But, I do really enjoy watching my seniors. The senior football players are hilarious. In fact, sometimes I want to cry when I watch them because I love them that much. 

Yesterday’s pep rally theme was CREAM THE BULLDOGS. Everything revolved around that. So, I’m standing there yesterday as they announce the first activity. They call four senior football players out and put them in chairs. They then call out four teachers. I’m lucky #4. As I run out, my pack of seniors starts chanting GAM-GAM! GAM-GAM! GAM-GAM!

I’m paired up with a student I’d had the class period before. I’d also had a conversation with him about the fact that he was unshaven. They tell me that I’m going to have to shave David’s face. The following occurs:

(I put shaving cream on David’s face.)

David: Miss Gam-Gams, have you ever shaved someone’s face before?

Me: DAVID! Why would I have shaved someone’s face before?!

David: I promise to never come to school unshaven if this is my punishment.

Me: Good.

David: Miss Gam-Gams, if you cut me, I will cut you.

Me: Listen, I’m not too thrilled about this either.

(The child is now covered in shaving cream.)

Me: David, do you know who you look like?

David: Mrs. Doubtfire. Would you like one lump or two?

Me: You’re melting like a snowcone in Phoenix. 

They then tell me that I don’t have to shave him. Rather, I have to throw Cheese Puffs at his face and see how many I can get to stick. 

- Obviously we were the winning duo.

- David will always think twice about not shaving.

- My hands still smell of Barbasol and Cheet. 

Teacher Time

Yesterday, I woke up at 6:30 and could not go back to sleep. I’m okay with this. I can wallow in bed for a bit and still be productive. 

Due to the time change, I woke up at 5:30 this morning. This is not okay. 

Sometimes I get caught up with how I’m actually a grown up. I feel like a child inside most of the time. In fact, when I teach my seniors, I pretty much classify myself as just another one of them. Except that, somehow or another, I’m actually in charge of them. My brain has yet to figure out how that’s actually possible. I’ll get back to you on that logic sometime.

And I’ve been thinking about how much I have grown up. And how much things have changed. Monday night one of my old roommates was in town. We went and got blizzards and sat at the fountain on North Campus for a long while. Five years ago I barely knew her, and now I really can’t imagine life without my house cat Sarah. We shared a room for a year, and she’s seen me through so much. I’ve also been pondering how much I’ve grown alongside one of my current roommates. She and I were roommates freshmen year. We didn’t know each other. At all. Yet it feels like I’ve known her forever. It’s crazy how things work like that. 

Today, for teacher work day, a few of us snuck away to grab lunch at a little Mexican place. This is where we ate for my first day of pre-planning last year. I knew no one. In fact, I remember thinking Man, these people are being nice. It never really occurred to me that these people would be my friends. Today, when we went back, I was amazed at how much things have changed in a year. We didn’t make small talk the whole lunch. We had real conversations. We know each other. We’ve seen each other go through the happiest of times and the worst. We’ve watched our students grow up together. And it’s beautiful. 

The Week In Review…

• The spray nozzle on the kitchen sink disconnected from the hose, and the hose became lodged in the neck of the faucet… and I found myself soaked and the kitchen drenched. And, with the help of the ebelskiver tools and my inner Mario and Luigi plumbing skillz, I fixed the sink. Huzzah! 
• Mr. Fitzgerald has survived his move to the Classic City. In one day, however, he devoured two, yes, TWO, MacBook chargers*, three straws, and two rolls of toilet paper. 
• *I’m starting to uncover the Steve-Jobs-Cats-Love-Macs conspiracy. 
• One of my colleagues brought me Chinese food for lunch yesterday. It was glorious… until I hit the after-lunch-MSG-food-coma. 
• I survived the first week of swimming… and none of my swimmers drowned! 
• Today’s teacher work day was about as unproductive as anticipated. 
• Tomorrow’s fall break plans include coffee, my new fancy red chair, and 71 research papers to grade… I’m sure I’ll learn some new facts about ancient Sparta and Athens. (This week I learned from a student that ancient Carthage apparently had an incredible air force. Right. How could I forget?) I’ll also be making my trip to the polls (I voted, did you?). And we’re going to the farm. An awesome fall break day indeed. 

• Me: Alright, let's review. Who can explain the significance of Third Term Panic to me:
• Student A: That's what you're going to name your band, Gam Gam. It's a cross between Third Eye Blind and Widespread Panic.
• Student B: No. Gam Gam's band is going to be named Florence NIghtingale and the Machine.
• Me: I'm still waiting on my answer...
• Student C: It has NOTHING to do with a band. It's the name of Thomas Nast's political cartoon that led to the Republicans and Democrats being elephants and donkeys respectively.

(Source: betype, via tarvertalkshere)

Fact: Two weeks ago I escorted one of my favorite seniors at the Wolverine Growl, our school-wide, late night, Homecoming pep rally. He was (as expected) crowned Homecoming King. As they announced that I was his escort, my seniors started chanting “Gam Gam! Gam Gam! Gam Gam!” from the bleachers. 

Fact: I am now known only as Gam Gam at school. As though I’m the resident grandmother. 

• (I'm grading tests from my freshmen...)
• Question: Why did the ancient Greek city-states lack unity?
• Correct Answer: The mountainous terrain prohibited unity.
• Student Answer: They were spread too thin.
• Things I Want To Write: THIS ISN'T PEANUT BUTTER. THIS IS SPARTA.

I finally listening to Mumford’s new album. It’s wondrous. It’s also unfortunate that I took NyQuil about thirty minutes ago…