Strange End of Evening

[Kathianne]

The IT guy at my school and I have become friends over the years. His daughter was in my first year of teaching, 6th grade. By far and away one of the nicest, deepest, empathetic, and smartest kids I've ever taught. Her writing was light years ahead of her age then, it's gotten better now. It was fascinating teaching her for 3 years, she never stopped questioning. We had some great arguments regarding politics before and after school.

In her second year of high school she came to say, 'thank you' to me. Why? Well it seems that she had become quite capable of tearing apart false arguments with both peers and teachers on issues she disagreed with. She wanted to thank me for arguing with facts and respect, we rarely agreed but always ended with valid points each other had made. Her dad used to come and sit with us, sort of keeping score of how we were doing. :cool:

I just spent the last 45 minutes listening to her being interviewed on a major jazz FM station here. She's on scholarship at DePaul. Her 3rd CD was just released. She hosts a open mic coffehaus in Wrigleyville on Wednesday evenings, played at Earl of Old Town Monday night.

Did I mention she just turned 21? :coffee:

I went to her website, she has a spacebook blog. The posts go back about a year, sure enough she detests Bush & Co. She admits to being conflicted on Iraq, she definately sees the progress and wrote worse things, in better language, than I've seem regarding Saddam. She's created a Soldier's Angel site at DePaul and they are currently collecting for Toy's For Tots.

Perhaps one of the most interesting of her entries to me, was of being in Charleston this summer, reflecting on the Civil War, casualties, throwing in facts on how Charleston was once the richest city in the colonies, etc. History teacher's dream student. :laugh2:

[retiredman]

congratulations! What a great validation!!

[darin]

Is she hot?

:p

Congrats Kath - the only thing we leave behind in this world is the legacy others build of us, in their hearts and minds.

[Kathianne]

congratulations! What a great validation!!

Well actually one cannot 'fail' with a kid like her or parents like she has. Her dad stopped by my room to tell me she was on this evening. After the first segment the host said that 'family, religion, philosophy, were obvious topics in her songs. Her parents are with her this evening, in our studio.' I wasn't surprised, they are like that. She has her own apartment in the city, but lives quite simply. At 12 she decided that she could no longer, 'eat anything with a face'. Within a year, except for her mom, they were all vegans.

Her brother is finishing his second engineering degree, he's 24. He spent a year and a half voluntarily working on building a water treatment plant in a village in South America. Then he came to my class, (I've gotten to know him since I had his sister in class), and asked if we'd help 'adopt' a school there. Needless to say, we turned that into a school wide project.

As I said, easy kids to teach and learn from.

[Kathianne]

Is she hot?

:p

Congrats Kath - the only thing we leave behind in this world is the legacy others build of us, in their hearts and minds.

Actually quite. :laugh2: Thanks, while she is an extreme one, it is so cool when I hear of their successes, which are quite often. ;)

[retiredman]

Well actually one cannot 'fail' with a kid like her or parents like she has. Her dad stopped by my room to tell me she was on this evening. After the first segment the host said that 'family, religion, philosophy, were obvious topics in her songs. Her parents are with her this evening, in our studio.' I wasn't surprised, they are like that. She has her own apartment in the city, but lives quite simply. At 12 she decided that she could no longer, 'eat anything with a face'. Within a year, except for her mom, they were all vegans.

Her brother is finishing his second engineering degree, he's 24. He spent a year and a half voluntarily working on building a water treatment plant in a village in South America. Then he came to my class, (I've gotten to know him since I had his sister in class), and asked if we'd help 'adopt' a school there. Needless to say, we turned that into a school wide project.

As I said, easy kids to teach and learn from.


typically, you are too modest

[manu1959]

what a cool story......

[Kathianne]

what a cool story......

Thanks! While I could do with the excitement dmp had today, my job is often 'cool' too! :laugh2:

[manu1959]

Thanks! While I could do with the excitement dmp had today, my job is often 'cool' too! :laugh2:


you will love this.....as you may know i coach youth soccer.....anyway i run into a young man 24 and his mum at dinner....i coached this child when he was 10 until he was about 14.....so they start going on and on about what a great influence i was and how i helped him with discipline etc..... blah blah blah you were the best coach.....

then they both look at me and at the same time tell me the most memorable thing i taught him was the term "clusterfuck".....:laugh2:

[Kathianne]

you will love this.....as you may know i coach youth soccer.....anyway i run into a young man 24 and his mum at dinner....i coached this child when he was 10 until he was about 14.....so they start going on and on about what a great influence i was and how i helped him with discipline etc..... blah blah blah you were the best coach.....

then they both look at me and at the same time tell me the most memorable thing i taught him was the term "clusterfuck".....:laugh2:

OMG! That is too funny! (Lord knows what the kids have heard when I'm talking to my friends at school.) There is no doubt that anyone that has worked with groups of kids gets a lot of gratification when they recognize they've had an impact. Coaches had a profound influence on my youngest son, when it was so important. Thanks for doing that!

[manu1959]

OMG! That is too funny! (Lord knows what the kids have heard when I'm talking to my friends at school.) There is no doubt that anyone that has worked with groups of kids gets a lot of gratification when they recognize they've had an impact. Coaches had a profound influence on my youngest son, when it was so important. Thanks for doing that!

it is a blast ..... i have been coaching since i was 16 ..... the only down side is the parents.....

[Kathianne]

it is a blast ..... i have been coaching since i was 16 ..... the only down side is the parents.....

Uh yeah, when there is a down side, that's where it is. Ever notice the connection of apple and tree? :coffee: Fortunately if there are 2, rarely are they both nuts. :laugh2: Though it does happen.

[manu1959]

Uh yeah, when there is a down side, that's where it is. Ever notice the connection of apple and tree? :coffee: Fortunately if there are 2, rarely are they both nuts. :laugh2: Though it does happen.

i used to get totally drunk parents calling me at 2 am....."why doesn't my kid play more...."

for the first 20 years of coaching i was single.....man if i had a dollar for every time some mom hit on me......