Now I've seen everything

Home visits for my center are occaisionally dicey. Today, I saw a sight you'd never expect. My assistant and I were in a rough neighborhood (Denver folks - two blocks north of Colfax on the scary part between 225 and Havana) in a rather gross apartment (caked food on the chairs and tables - yeesh). Mom was heavily pregnant, and I made the comment, "Looks like you'll be busy soon" when I was talking about volunteering. She replied, "No, this is my aunt's baby." I said, "Oh how nice" and went on with my patter. Cos really, what else do you say? That isn't the best of it. Dad was hanging around in the background with the brightest red jogging suit I've ever seen, serious rings, and v. expensive running shoes. He was screaming gang banger (and the tats on the mother of his child also lead one to assume the affiliation). He was also very carefully pruning and misting his small grove of bonsai trees. Which were gorgeous - really beautiful little trees. And he was exceedingly proud of them when I commented on how nice they were.

So really, what more is there to see?

Ok, I take that back, cos I still have more home visits to do ;) And before you think, "oh how dangerous and scary!" that was only the second out of thirty homes that was dingy and kinda creepy. Most of our homes are humble but clean and friendly. And I have a cornucopeia of nationalities in my class this year - I have children from Ethiopia, Morocco, Egypt, India, and Iran. So that's cool.

But man, oh man, don't make me go north of Colfax again ;)

Quick Friday Five

And then off to the new season of What Not To Wear (US):

1. Are you going to school this year?

Why yes, yes I am.

2. If yes, where are you going (high school, college, etc.)? If no, when did you graduate?

University of Colorado -Denver in the master's program (Information and Learning Technologies). I graduated with my BA (Elementary Education) in 1993 and from high school in 1988.

3. What are/were your favorite school subjects?
I always enjoyed English. I ahve fond memories of French. But my favorite classes in high school and college revolved around speech and theater.

4. What are/were your least favorite school subjects?

Oh man, I had to take Trigonometry and Analytical Geonmetry one year to complete my credits. I remember being baffled the entire time, learning the steps by rote, and somehow managing a B average.

5. Have you ever had a favorite teacher? Why was he/she a favorite?
My first grade teacher (Mrs. Lillian Miller) was a huge influence on me. She was soft spoken, very flexible (I had my own reading group cos I was advanced), and one of the few black teachers - and one of the first ever - in the tiny North Carolina town I lived in.

But Miss McLaughlin, my fourth grade teacher, was the first one I lurved. She was in her first year and the whole class would have done anything for her.

Ms. Wiginton (Wig or Wiggy) was my high school drama teacher. She rocked my high school world.

And Claire Jones, my college theater professor who ran the fine Children's Theater, was a mentor I dearly miss (She died while I was still in school).