Stuff, Again...

I had an awesome Christmas! I hope that you did too.
This is one of favorite times of the year. It is nice to get a 2 week break from work but more importantly I get to spend those 2 weeks with my family.

I never seem to make enough time for those that I love the most. It's sad but true. My job, my wife's job, and the kids activities always seem to get in the way of solid quality time. As a father and husband I think that our lives end up focusing on things other than being a family. I also think that this is a very typical situation.

I have always believed that my kids should be busy. I was brought up being taught that "Idle hands are the devils workshop" and I believe that it's true. When a kid has to spend time coming up with something to do they can decide to do things that are not exactly positive....

I AM actually looking forward to returning to school.
I miss my students and friends.

My bands are making some very nice sounds. These breaks tend to take away our momentum. That, of course, makes sense. When we have a break the kids don't have their horns to their faces. Returning will take care of it.

I am looking forward to getting ready for contests.
I'm hoping that the younger kids can do it and still enjoy band. Contest prep is hyper-boring at times. We have to be so very picky it can seriously wear the kids down. To be successful though it must be done.

I am looking forward to teaching the 6th graders again. I have really enjoyed them so far.

I have had so much fun teaching this year. More so than any year in recent memory. There have been so few problems. I think that our program has begun to turn the corner into being a positive experience for all involved.

In years past there had been WAY too many kids falling short of expectations. I do not expect perfection from anyone. I DO expect the kids to give me their best effort though.

I have NEVER told the kids that they have to make a certain rating or achieve a specific placement at contests. I HAVE told them that I will only accept their best effort. As long as I get their best I will never complain.

My opinion has always been that no judge will ever know where our band started from. They only see/hear us for one brief moment in time. They will never see our complete journey from learning music to becoming the best we could be. I see that.

Our best is all I ever ask for.

Happy New Year Everybody!

The soapbox of a lunatic

College football rules.

That's about it.

I'm sitting on my couch watching the Big 12 championship game as I write tonight.  I love it.  I truly enjoy watching excellence.  It matters not what field it is in.  I enjoy watching excellent sports and listening to excellent music.  It's the best.

New Subject:

My kids all won their games today.  Both by large margins.

I got to listen to some really good Horn players today at All-State.

It was all awesome.

More Stuff:

I'm looking forward to the next semester.  I truly enjoy prepping the kids for contest.  It's a wonderful process of discovery and learning.

My only source of trepidation is eligibility.  I have a total of 4 kids in the high school band failing at least 2 classes.  I have another 3 failing one.  This is not acceptable.

In the 7th grade there's a total of 4 kids failing classes.

These kids don't seem to get it.

I don't get it.

I was never an awesome student.  I carried a 3.5 GPA through high school.  I was capable of more but I was...LAZY.

How do these kids FAIL classes?

These are not unintelligent kids either.  They are LAZY!

My conversation with almost EVERY flunky:

ME- "What's up in your classes?"

Flunky- "I don't know."

ME- "Bull.  You go to that class.  You go their every class period. How can you NOT know what's going on in there?"

Flunky- "I don't know."

Me- "That's bull and you know it!  Why are you failing?"

Flunky- "I don't turn in my work."

ME- "Why?"

Flunky- "I don't know.  I do the work, I just forget to turn it in."

Doing your homework work and not turning it in would be the ultimate in stupidity.

I cannot stand stupidity.  It disgusts me.  BAH!

O for the day that responsibility and self-respect are learned by us all.

It comes down to the fact that we all need more of these.

The ramblings of a lunatic

Christmas time is finally here.  I mean by-golly Christmas time.  Not the standard Halloween is over let's watch the stores put up Christmas decorations a month-and-a-half early time.

It's cold outside.  The temperature has finally dropped and we might have a winter.  Winter meaning cold and maybe some snow, maybe.  Here's to hoping for no ice!

What a great time to be alive.  My kids are awesome.  My wife is awesome.  My students are responding relatively well to instruction.  My dog, well she pees on the carpet.  Not so much with the dog.

I'm very thankful for the place I'm in right now.  I enjoy my family and my job.  What more can you ask for?

One thing comes to mind.  Someone other than Obama running the country would be nice.  Of course I'll have to give the man a chance, but I don't like it.  Not one bit.

Band is going decently at the high school.  It would be nice if the kids could remember what it means to play with more than two volumes.

Middle school is ok too.  There are far too many 7th graders not practicing their instruments.  It's a shame too.  There is quite a bit of talent being wasted.  THAT I believe is a sin.  Not just a sin as a student but an actual sin against God.  The Lord blesses someone with talent and ability and that person just poops it to the wind.  It is too easy to sit and watch tv, talk on the phone, text, or myspace than to develop your talent.

Such a waste.

6th graders are STILL excited about being in Band!  That is awesome.  Usually by now quite a few have become jaded because I want them to work and get better.  Far to many kids sign up for Band thinking it will be a blow off class.  Most of their parents tell them that.  Those parents were probably kids that took Band one year and blew it off.  The apples don't fall far from the trees you know.

Anyway, a vast majority (90%) of the 6th graders are fired up.  I like it!  Most of those kids follow my thinking in that intelligence is required to make it in this world.  In case you didn't know I despise stupidity.  Most of the time it comes from someone not paying attention.  Of course those people are "ADD".  The single most over diagnosed affliction known to mankind.  When I was a kid it was called hyperactive.  It's not something you treat with drugs.  You treat it with a smack to the back of the head whilst saying "PAY ATTENTION!"  

I have a hard time paying attention or focusing on what's important.  I'm not sick, I'm preoccupied with other stuff.  THAT'S OK!  Don't drug me.  We take far too many drugs in our society.  Let's take some responsibility.  

A kid can make a decision to pay attention.  If they don't do it in school they fail.  If they fail they might actually learn something about themselves.  If we rush in and say "It's ok Sally.  Your ADD or H/ADD.  We'll get you some medicine.  It's not your fault you can't sit still and pay attention."  Bull poop.

I think it's far better to let that kid fail and maybe have to repeat a grade.  Like they did when I was a kid.  Nobody took medicine for ADD.  They would have been laughed at by their elders.  Those elders would say what I'm saying know.  Sit still and pay attention.

If I go hard-core in school on something like that I might get sued.  THAT'S another problem with our world that I'll let go for know.

I'm sort of ranting in this post huh?

So the 6th graders are mostly awesome.