Those of you that know me well know that at times I can have a bit of an addictive personality. I always seem to have some newfound obsession that I spend hours researching on the internet and even cause me to develop ridiculous schemes related to the object of my obsession. For example, last spring it was all about David Blaine. In the week that he was in the bubble, I went to see him three times (I even took my students to see him), read every article on the internet about him and took his advice seriously. Then there was the Trailer Park Boys, the best Canadian TV show ever. Pat and I watched the first six seasons in record time, and then even took a pilgrimage to Nova Scotia in search of Sunnyvale Trailer Park!
My current favorite thing in the world, besides my loving husband, is the Dog! I got hooked on watching Dog the Bounty Hunter (on A&E—I highly recommend you watch it) when I was on vacation in Florida. For the past few weeks our Friday evenings consist of watching Dog marathon thanks to our lovely TIVO-like machine. In the past eight weeks or so I must have seen over thirty episodes. Unlike my other obsessions though, I am learning a lot from this one and putting it to immediate use. Here’s a little story from the wonderful MS 391…
Friday morning when taking attendance I noticed that a group of four girls, who are the best of friends, all happened to be absent. I casually asked the class about it and just about all of the students admitted to seeing three of them this morning outside of school. As it turns out the dean of students also happened to see them and talk with them in the morning before school. (Something I wouldn’t recommend doing then proceeding to cut an entire day of school.) Once I put two and two together, I got my people on the clique of cutters! By 9:00 all of their houses had been called, their relatives alerted, and other friends questioned. Remembering the teachings of the Dog, on my free period I went on a hunt of my own! (No mace gun on this one though!) Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to hit all of the houses, but I did get to one and made my presence known in the neighborhood. By noon I had been in contact with one mother, and one older sister. After school, I hit the other two houses, with the help of their little brothers. The hunt made me feel really energized and powerful, a lot like the Dog does after his hunts! Now I must wait until their punishments are dealt Monday morning.
(Cue theme song—to the tune of the Dog’s theme song!)
There’re books and knowledge all around you
The students are cutting school
No use in hiding behind the desk
I’ll hunt you down ’cause I’m the Teach!I’m the Teach
The big bad Teach
The Bounty Teacher
I like the song, teach! Can I be your “young blood?”