Update - July 15, 2012

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Actually, as it's midnight, I guess it's really July 16, but it still feels like Sunday night, so that's what I'm going with. I don't really have much to say. I've been pretty much in survival mode since getting the job. Here's the progress so far:


Job Hunt (Teacher):
Got a job! It's a great job! I just wish the first day of school wasn't a week from tomorrow. I have too much to do!

Education:
New teacher training was this past week, and it was really helpful. I particularly like the discipline system they use (Love & Logic) because it really forces kids to think about things. There are some parts (like saying "Don't worry" to try to get them *to* worry) that I don't like, but most of it really fits my own philosophy on discipline. I'm so glad they're not trying to make me a sarcastic mean person. I know it works, but I just can't get behind it. To me, the use of sarcasm in that sense is a sign of disrespect, and I want to model respect at all times. It doesn't bother me when others do it, because I understand where they're coming from and usually the kids do, too, but it just doesn't work for me. I learned a lot of other things, too.

Writing:
Nope. Not a thing, other than some thoughts about my Halloween story, and some reflection on how blood magic works in my vampire novels. I think it's too "sciency" or commonplace. I want it to be weirder and have more mystery.

Gaming:
None at all. .

Reading:
I have lots of reading to do for my new job. Some of it is specific to teaching at the school I'm at (Love & Logic, The Ethic of Excellence, Othello), and some is stuff I need to start teaching my students the first week of class, since it was their summer reading (The Crucible, The Odyssey, and Frankenstein). I also picked up The Together Teacher, to help me stay on top of things, since I don't have much common sense and I tend not to be very organized. And, of course I'm still reading for pleasure. I just finished Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu. Out of all that, so far I've finished Off Balance and The Crucible, but I'm 45 minutes away from being done with the Odyssey, and I'm more than halfway through Love & Logic. Not exactly where I'd like to be with only a week left, but making progress.

 

Frankenstein was actually boring too. :-P

 

I've read The Crucible and The Odyssey before, but not in a long time. I've never read Frankenstein though. I actually like both The Crucible and The Odyssey, although I agree that there are some boring parts to both of them, especially The Odyssey. What's weird is that the 9th graders are doing the classical lit (The Odyssey, and later the Iliad, etc.), the 10th graders are doing British lit, and the 12th graders acre doing American lit. I'd think the American lit would be the most accessible, and the classical the least, so I'd expect it to be reversed. But I think they're trying to be somewhat chronological, so the earlier stuff first.

 

I don't think I've read any of those although I went through a period of interest in Greek mythology when I was younger. I guess the good thing about forcing children to read this kind of literature is that it opens them up to concepts they would normally ignore. Spongebob offers instant gratification but does little for instilling concepts deeper than 'how to be annoying and lovable at the same time'.

About your writing - Being as the ideas of vampires have been thoroughly explored, its very important that you develop concepts that are out-of-the-cubical container. I can understand your dilemma. Personally I've never been overly interested in standard vampires. However, my absolute favourite series of books has a very intense character interaction with a completely different kind of vampire. Robert Lumley's "Necroscope" series is astounding and deep and disturbing and beautiful all at the same time. Those vampires are terrifying.