the children are learning!

bought a nylon today from the walgreens. while reading it i became alarmed that i hadn't heard of any of the bands in it. before i fell down a "i'mtoooldanddon'tknowwhat'scoolanymore" hole, i had a listen and realized i didn't like most of them anyway. somehow this made me feel better. did like beth jeans houghton's golden, and blue roses. b.r. reminds me of twin peaks!

alas, i was listening while grading my last set of essays for the year. my girlfriend at work was saying i should be able to tell how much they learned this year based on these, and she was so right (as usual). there's some solid stuff here. two of my favorite paragraphs:

"My music is not only pleasant to the ears it is also inspirational. My songs inspire people to love themselves for who they are. I also create songs about the importance of perseverance. In addition to those powerful messages, my music displays my struggles in life. Therefore, benefitting the listener if they've gone through the same struggles by making them feel as if they are not alone. I love to make a difference in other people through my songs because not only does it benefit them, it benefits me to."

"In a lifetime, we humans are less willing to make the change to be the best person we can be. We often feel that the world should accept us they way that we are. The changes that we do make could be the spark of us beng successful in life. Take me: a person who was headed down the wrong path, but now a more mature person with a bright future ahead."

go y'all! It also helps to know that for this second student, the wrong path was the bloods. changes things a bit. it's weird because i try not to talk about my students all the time like when i first started teaching, but i for real spend 7 hours a day with them and who can you tell about all their little triumphs and failures? it's a strange thing, teaching.

alas, i digress! let's get on with this last full week!