Yikes. All of a sudden we are embroiled in a soap opera, and I am not down with it. Being a member of one group by definition but feeling pretty much 100% aligned with another is not an unfamiliar place for me, but for a variety of reasons it's harder now than it has been before, though I can certainly still think of tougher places to be in this situation. Anyway, there are more interesting things to think about, things that I can act on (or at least can plan to act on.)

One of those things is this nobody-loves-whole-language business which I learned about in the process of completing my webquest. The fanatical approach of a lot of phonics pholks is really bothersome, especially since we have such a nice example of how to be not only pleasant but realistic about reading instruction in the whole language camp's response. Even worse than that, though, as far as I'm concerned, is the way research is obscured. I'm sure that if I undertook a book- and journal-based project on this topic, it would be a little easier to sort out, but trying to determine who said how much of what truth is just about impossible on the web. That whole California standardized test bit was annoying, for instance. Phonics somehow interpreted overall low scores as DECLINING, even though they had actually been increasing over the course of 12 years or so, and blamed the "decline" on whole language. Now how am I supposed to believe anything else that comes out of that researcher's mouth? I can't. But of course there are two sides, and untangling them is not easy, so my reaction is to say forget you all and I'll do it myself. Which, as annoying as it is to have a reason to want to say that, does make me happy, because it's just another little reminder that I got the career thing right this time around. So darn cool.

Hung out for a bit with JB yesterday. When he talks about some of the things he did back in the day, it makes me so excited to be getting ready to teach English, and (someday) to teach English teachers. I will not say that other subjects aren't important, but come on: how often does a science teacher have the chance to do something like take a bunch of inner-city kids to see Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet and then out for coffee one little group at a time so they can see what it's like to have a conversation like that? How many math teachers get to let students learn it by BEING it, like his one student became Antigone? How dedicated are other subjects' teachers to cultivating lifelong, emotional attachments? It's fabulous, it really is. Enough of these little reminders in a small period of time and I might float right out the window.

Anyway, looking forward to sleeping in a bit tomorrow morning. Plan on a nice, easy-going Friday (if I can help it!) and nailing (ha!) down a lot of little homework pieces this weekend. I think it'll be lovely - especially if we can put the smack on some Dawgs Saturday...