Speak With Authority

Watch the Taylor Mali video, and think about the way you speak to your friends, your teachers, your family members, the people you work with.  Do you think about what you say before you say it?  Do you commit any of the 'verbal offenses' he mentions in the video (is there anything he says in the video that you hear your own self saying when you speak)?  Why is it important for us to care about the way we sound when we say things?  What are 2 things you can change about the way you speak that will make you speak with more authority? 

Budget Cuts

Governor Rick Perry recently announced staggering budget cuts for Texas (and no raise in taxes), including cutting billions of dollars for education and proposing to eliminate the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Commission on the Arts. How will these budget cuts affect you?

INSTRUCTIONS:  Discuss the budget cuts and their immediate effects on you and the people you know.  Then finish the sentence "Texas Education budget cuts will affect me in the following ways:"  Please list at least 3 ways these cuts will touch your life or the lives of people you know.

Ms. Davis's Answer:

Because of the budget cutbacks, MISD is on a hiring freeze.  This means that they hope to save money without layoffs by not replacing teachers who leave or retire.  Because we will still have the same amount of students, this means that some classes will simply be dropped, and the ones that aren't will be crowded with the extra students.  This means less individual attention, more distractions in the classroom, and more paperwork for teachers.  Friends who work in DISD are not so lucky - DISD has announced layoffs of 3,100 educators.  My brother and a good friend are both in certification classes to become educators next fall, and now they almost certainly won't be able to find teaching jobs.   These are just a few obvious effects, but the worst probably remains to be seen.

President

Finish the sentence below.  List at least 3 things that you would put into law.

If I were the President...

Ms. Davis's Answer:

If I were the President, I would give everyone healthcare.  I would make owning guns illegal.  And I would mandate a 3-day weekend with 4-day weeks.  If everyone worked a little longer Monday through Friday, we could get the same amount of things done!

Ms. Davis Will Be Out Today

So be on your best behavior. I know you will :)

Please DO NOT SURF THE WEB TODAY. You may use headphones, but remember that there might be important people coming around to your classes today. Show them how awesome we are.

See you Thursday!

Valentine

INSTRUCTIONS: Write a story using the sentences below as a jumping off point.  Write at least 5 new sentences of your own.  The story can be about anything you want, as long as it is school appropriate.  Use 2 TAKS Words of the Day, and underline them within the story.

Jake couldn't wait to get to school. Today was the day of the class Valentine's Day party.

Ms. Davis's Answer:
Jake couldn't wait to get to school. Today was the day of the class Valentine's Day party.  He had been waiting for this day since well before Christmas - today was the day he would disclose his love to the girl he had been pining for.  Her name was Candy, so he thought it was perfect to declare his love to her on Valentine's Day, in letters spelled out with all different kinds of candy.  He had planned it out perfectly, spending hours on the placement of each piece.  He wanted to be sure he'd done everything he could to capture her heart.  He was an artist, and he was using this as a way to harness his talent in an edible way.

Halftime Show

Watch the video of the Super Bowl XLV halftime show.  What did you think?  Do you like the Black Eyed Peas?  What did you think about Christina Aguilera's mistake in the National Anthem?

Book Covers

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” – American Proverb

INSTRUCTIONS:  Think about the proverb above.  Is it good advice?  Is there ever a good time to form an opinion about someone based on their outward appearance?  What do you think if you see an old man with a scraggly beard wearing grungy flannel outside 7-Eleven?  Do you think, maybe he works outdoors and that jacket is really warm, or do you think he must be a bum?  What about the other way around?  When you see someone in a flashy car or with an expensive purse, do you think they must be really rich and awesome?  Are there times that you think you should judge people’s appearances for your own safety?  Write at least 3 sentences telling whether or not it’s okay to judge a book by its cover.  Include at least one TAKS Word of the Day.  Then click Publish Post, and you’re done.

Ms. Davis’s Answer:

I think this proverb really means don’t judge a person’s character based on what they are wearing, and I agree, you shouldn’t do that.  But there are times when someone’s outward appearance is the first sign of danger or distress, and the judgment is the natural effect of that appearance.  In a time when I feel concerned about my safety, I’ll make a snap judgment just to be careful.