Yep! A bad Day

[Prepoia[$]]

I'm sitting here still bumming about the day I had so I thought I'd share. A true rendition of misery loves company.

Got to work at 7:15 am to find my red phone button blinking. It doesn't indicate a call from another world power, just a call from someone. I figured it was one of the staff wanting to borrow something (which is normal) but, no, it was a parent. She had called and left a message at 9:30 last night.

Today we started reading the book, "The Outsiders" by Hinton. We've been leading up to it all week and I've really been looking forward to it. We read it every year (it's part of our aligned literature list) and the kids absolutely love it. Even my reluctant readers really get into this one which is why I'm always excited about it. Some of the kids at school have parents that also attended my middle school and they read it in 7th grade and it's really neat to hear the discussions at home between the parents and the kids. (The kids always want to share their conversations from home at school.)

Anyway, this mother called to say her daughter would not be allowed to read this book and that she would pick her up before my class since we are starting it today. (She picked her up between 5th and 6th hour which is when I have her.) She asked that I call her back. I tried during my conference hour (1st and early) and she didn't answer and I left a message that I'd called and would call again after school because I don't have any time between first and last hours.

I checked with my assistant principal and he suggested just finding another book for her to read (with worksheets and projects and things) to do in the library. He also suggested that I tell the parent that the girl is to remind me if a discussion comes up when she is in the room so that I can dismiss her from our presence during any discussion. It's hard because the kids talk about what we are working on in class all the time and truthfully by 6th hour, I could forget about her situation.

I was teaching my 5th hour class. We were talking about greasers and socs and I had brought in pictures of madras shirts and duck tail haircuts etc. We also started reading the first chapter. My special ed teacher that works with me that hour left to use the bathroom and came back in and said a woman was hanging around my door. She asked her if she could help her and she ends up being the girl's mom. My door was open (it almost always is) so I assume she didn't check in at the office and that she was listening to the lesson. The special ed teacher took up where I was and I went out to talk to the mom.

She said that she didn't want her daughter to read the Outsiders because she is a Christian. She said that her daughter was not to learn about violence in any way and that she felt that the greasers and the socs fighting was bad. I got a little prickly about it. Not that her daughter could not read the book. That is, in my opinion, a choice that parents have the right to make. But, to say I'm a Christian made me want to say, "And what am I? Chop liver?" But, I didn't. I did say more than I would have usually. It was said so smugly and condescendingly that I said, "I'm a Christian too." She raised her eyebrows and I said, "Probably not the same "kind" of Christian, but a Christian." Then I explained the plan to have her daughter read a different book while the rest of us read this one. She said that as long as there was adult supervision, that would be fine. I must state that she was very nice and I think I was too. It just didn't set right with me. If she had said, "The book doesn't go along with my personal beliefs so I would like her excluded," that would have been fine. The other 7th grade English teacher suggested "The Giver" for her. Another one said, "No." I haven't read it but I guess it's about a future society in which all of the children are protected and all senses are left behind.

So, does anyone know a good book without any violence or questionable material in it that an intelligent girl might read in this circumstance? I truly am looking for one. All the books in our class literature section has some content that could be objectionable.

I then heard from the electric company that my daughter's bill is over $200 this month.

I then got a call telling me that my second college class was canceled and I have to get another (I'm working on one 3hour credit class now) 3hour class completed before June 30th. So now I have to worry about that.

Some days just suck!

Sandy
Who always thought that being a Christian meant believing in Christ.

[lynnzop[$]]

Oh Sandy, that sounds like an awful day! Sometimes it's just a snowball, isn't it.

I run into the "Christian" v. Christian debate all too often. In that woman's case, she sounds like a "self-righteous Christian" and I have big problems with that attitude. I have to remind myself to be a good Christian when that happens. Keep that in mind next time you have to bite your tongue.

It's been a hard week for me too...did you know yesterday was the full moon? Let's blame it on that.

[Redlass]

I'd suggest the Bible, but there's a pretty heavy dose of violence in that. Lots of sex too.

[lynnzop[$]]

Touche!!

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Meanwhile, Hubby was just telling me that his 6th-graders were talking about TV shows today. They watch "The Flavor of Love," which is a really stupid reality show starring 80's rapper Flava Flav and features hot girl-on-girl action regularly; and The Shield, which last night featured more than the usual amount of nudity, profanity, and graphic sex.

[Prepoia[$]]

lynnzop said

Oh Sandy, that sounds like an awful day! Sometimes it's just a snowball, isn't it.

I run into the "Christian" v. Christian debate all too often. In that woman's case, she sounds like a "self-righteous Christian" and I have big problems with that attitude. I have to remind myself to be a good Christian when that happens. Keep that in mind next time you have to bite your tongue.

It's been a hard week for me too...did you know yesterday was the full moon? Let's blame it on that.

Full moons affect everyone it seems We actually do notice a negative affect on students when it's a full moon.

I'm not sure why it bothered me so much today (full moon shining on me as well?). I guess it was the self-righteous way she stated it. I couldn't even come close to sounding like that. It came off as put down and while I'm not perfect, but I do go to church, take part in an adoration chapel of silent prayer for those in need weekly and am a good person as well. I just said that I'm a Christian too because I felt the right to stand up for my religion as well. I'm hoping that it doesn't get reported as a conflict with church and school. I'm like you in that I usually do keep a "Christian" attitude and feel badly that anyone can be so narrow that they believe their way is the only way and more importantly, the only right way. Because I'm a Christian I keep an open heart and open mind and expect that someday I'll be meeting up with all my friends of all faiths and probably a whole lot more of really kind, loving, caring, good people that aren't into religion at all.

And, Bridgette, I had already thought about the Bible and wondered about that very thing! Great minds and all that stuff

Sandy
Who also doesn't believe in violence and is still searching for a book that wouldn't offend someone in some way and haven't yet found one yet for a teenager. Maybe I need to visit the thread about writing an unoffensive nursery rhyme or story

Is the full moon gone tomorrow?

Sandy

[theworm[$]]

Oh Sandy. I'm sorry it was such a tough day. I can't offer a book selection - don't remember what I was reading in 7th grade, but I hope tomorrow is better!!!

[magenta321]

I don't remember too muh about the book... but... maybe St. Francis of Assisi? We read that in public school when I was there.

Maybe if there is any violence in that, mom will be able to swallow it because it is "Christian".

And $200 for electric doesn't sound /too/ horrible. Sounds like everyone got surprises there this month... one friend of mine had a $600 electric bill. Yowza!

[jgibson2[$]]

I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help. I just finished reading Huckleberry Finn to my 5th grader. Bridgette beat me to the crack about the Bible, too.

[Redlass]

The books that I'm coming up with aren't necessarily good assignments form a public school. Thinks like anything written by Corrie Ten Boom (though there is definitely a lot of violence in them) or Christy by Catherine Marshall.

Maybe A Prayer for Owen Meaney? (Though it's been decades since I read that book and it might not be appropriate.)

[Redlass]

OK, thinking some more. How about "Understood Betsy" or "Freckles" or "Girl of the Limberlost"? Would those be too young for her?

Going in the other direction, I think "Monstrous Regiment of Women" has a lot of potential for analysis and class work, but there is plenty in there that could be seen as offensive. It would certainly challenge the girl in ways that her mother might otherwise shield her from.

[emeleel]

Bridgette, are you talking about the Terry Pratchett book, or something else?

How 'bout Ella Enchanted? I recently reread that one and fell even more in love with it the second time around.

[phoenixx]

The Chronicles of NArnia.

Violence in parts, but she'd have to suck it up - written by an atheist turned Crhistian and chock full of Christian allegory.

[hadassahchana[$]]

Sandy, that sucks. I would hate a remark like that, too. Sorry it had to happen.

what about 'Anne of Green Gables'? That one is so wonderful.


and

[Helen_B[$]]

What about A Wrinkle In Time, which is full of religious allegory and the battle of good against evil? Or would that be too young and took full of fantasy? My daughter read every Madeline L'Engle book she could lay her hands on after reading it at about that age.

[phoenixx]

Want to feel better about your day, or at least laught at someone else's bad day?

Read yesterday's entry at www.amalah.com

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

It's a dingo. And it ate your baby.

Gawd was that funny. I scared my co-workers laughing so loud.

[phoenixx]

I read Amalah every day now, thanks to whoever it was here that got me started on it with the scary food cookbook post (was that Cindy??)

[Redlass]

Melanie, nope, not Pratchett. The Monstrous Regiment book is by Laurie King. It's actually the second in a series, but I think it stands alone. Also, the rest of the series is more traditionally a mystery series. This middle one has a literary value that transcends the mystery genre. However, now that I think on the ending, there is some forced drug abuse (a character is kidnapped and they try to make her into a drug addict). However, it also gets into the role of women in the Victorian era, Christian mysticism, and Jewish textual criticism of women in the Old Testament. It's all together a fascinating book that deals with a lot of different themes in the context of an interesting mystery that is enjoyable to read.

[theworm[$]]

maybe the Little House on the Prairie series? They don't fight or cuss or anything.

[Prepoia[$]]

I'm learning a lot by studying these books and their content. That was so funny (the amalah blog)! I checked into sites for Christian reading 7th grade and there were a couple of mainstream books there. A new one called Al Capone washed my shirts might be one I'll run past her. I'll suggest some of the others that you all suggested but it really is hard to keep a reader interested and learning when there's no protagonist allowed.

[Redlass]

What I find sad about the restricted reading lists is that it creates children who are fertile grounds for having lies planted in them because they don't have the necessary background to think critically and analyze information.

But that's my own peeve and it extends to adults as well.