I'm probably the only person LOVING this transit strike

I'm getting to sleep an hour later. The parkway I travel to Queens is virtually free of traffic. My work day is shorter. My classes are small and only the better students are showing up. My Juniors are absolutely engrossed in reading OUR TOWN and even getting out of their seats to act out the scenes as they read them. For the first time in ages I'm enjoying my job!

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Absolutely true. Still, I'm enjoying the situation while it exists.

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If I ever had a teacher like DP I'd shoot myself in the foot.

No. You're not alone, DP. I'm L-O-V-I-N-G every minute of it!

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Updated On: 12/21/05 at 05:51 PM

Yes, plays are meant to be performed and when we read plays in my classes, we assign roles and read them aloud. After almost a full semester, many of my students are comfortable enough to read with a certain amount of feeling and with the smaller classes right now, they easily get up and walk about a bit while they read their roles. I'm reading the Stage Manager and using a New England accent while I do so. The kids are thrilled with this and Mrs. Soames and Mrs Gibbs are attempting to do the same. Of course, the current situation has only 6-8 students in some classes, so many students are playing multiple roles. It's amazing how a new character is introduced and a student just steps in and reads the lines without being asked. Oh yes, some of the boys are having a blast providing the sound effects! I've heard some terrific horse sounds and chicken cackles!

Please remember that under normal circumstances these kids are my ghetto rats!

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I am so happy that you are enjoying being with your students. '
you see, you are getting the joy that every teacher deserves. I hope that the scene where Emily and George get married is a nice one and " a perfectly lovely wedding! I just love a good wedding."

Oh I don't know if you'd want to be in my class. Things get pretty intense when I do STREETCAR. I'm a pretty damned good Stanley Kowalski and the kids get jolted when I start throwing things around the classroom when he "clears the table". I also wear a T-shirt which gets ripped at the appropriate moment. This past October the girl who was reading Blanche was afraid that I would pick her up and slam her on my desk during the rape scene. Her comment: "Hey Mistuh, you really get into it!"

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"Please remember that under normal circumstances these kids are my ghetto rats!

As someone who grew up in the inner city I take great offense in you calling these kids "ghetto rats".