As with many Social Media thingies most get you to divulge more information about you to your public so you can make more connections and find that you are not alone or not as weird as you once thought. I participated in the 10 films in 10 days by just showing a still from the movie nothing else after being nominated by my older brother. Recently one has been bouncing around along the same vein- this one has to deal with books for a week and only showing the cover. I saw some colleagues nominated and decided instead of waiting I would just jump in and do it without being “nominated” but also without the pressure of having to nominate other people. “Instead of waiting to be asked by a real person I’ve accepted the challenge from an imaginary friend to post 7 books I love- no explanations, no reviews, just the cover I’d challenge someone, but I just thought it was a pretty awesome idea-“. I’ll add a sentence about each even though that wasn’t part of the initial piece, since this doesn’t have a character limit, why not. The covers are from the dictions I first read, so they might not be what you see if you hunt down the book. Remember “Never judge a book by its cover”
SO what’s my list?
Just Only John by Jack Kent – A boy with an active imagination who wants more.
The Wuggie Norple Story by Daniel Pinkwater & Tomie dePaolo – It’s got a cat in it and a whistle fixer- what else could you ask for?
Big Bad Bruce by Bill Peet. My intro to Bill Peet back when I was “Mr. Bruce”
The Brave Little Toaster by Thomas Disch. It was a book before a movie!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline It was a book before a movie too and while I completely understand how difficult it would be to hold an audiences attention for hours of watching someone play Pac Man, “Never judge a book by its movie”
Dream Park by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes. Holographic Roll Playing Game, with a murder mystery & in awesome amusement park? What’s not to love? Grab some cargo and find a copy.
Another Fine Myth (Part of the Myth Adventures Series) by Robert Lynn Aspirin. My introduction to the genre “Comic Fantasy.” Full of puns and an amazing multiverse full of demons. As I always recommend when it comes to series- start at the beginning with Skeeve & Garkin.
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You’ll notice that these are either picture books or Science Fiction/Fantasy, as a Graphic Novel/Comics guy I’d need another list or two to decide what are my favorite in that medium. I say two because of All Ages vs. ummm… not all ages, because some comics just aren’t for kids. I’ll have to look into that for a future post.
So I wanted to publish a blog post every week and it’s now February and I’ve posted… yes, I failed. All I can do is try again. So let’s start off with something easy, like the weather.
This week we were assaulted by the “Polar Vortex” which still sounds like a really bad cartoon villain. Temperatures dropped, schools were closed, or delayed opening until it got warmer- which it didn’t. At least this time around we didn’t have people running around making jokes about “global warming” although I’m sure there were some comments tweeted out from Washington, that I may have missed. So school was closed for one day and delayed two days in a row. Parents either complained about being inconvenienced or the safety of their kids. Another reason I’m not an administrator- you can’t win. My school district even has it outlined in writing how the decision is made, and they followed their rules and still people were upset.
As a teacher, I want to see my students. I only see them 27 hours a year, if you do the math. Delayed days and missed days just give me less time with the kids. Delay days can almost be worse, but for many kids are very important. Working in a Title One school, some of my students may only get a decent meal at school, so a missed day doesn’t just mean missed learning, but also no food. So what do I do when my class time is trimmed by a third? By the time the students get out the supplies they need it will be time to clean up. So I decided to take a break from robotics and engineering and spend some time drawing.
When I started teaching I decided that while it was important to teach my first graders how to form letters, and hold a pencil, they also just needed to work on controlling the pencil. To this end I took at least one day a week and instead of going over how to make a “b” or a “d” we’d draw. I did some basics on my own and then found a book called “Draw Squad” written by Mark Kistler who had a show on PBS. It was great. The lessons were short enough that we could do them daily. There were 180 of them (there are 180 days in a school year). I used that book until it fell apart. Sold it in the class end of year auction, and bought another copy. I start off each year with some of the basics before moving on to building & robots. Last week, I used my shortened time to dive back into drawing with my students. I discovered that Mark Kistler was still around, and has a YouTube channel. So instead of learning from me, the classes and I learned from the master. I have decided not to share any drawings the kids made because they have been on hiatus for a while, but I’m right now trying to determine how to integrate it more into what I do every day, or at least every month. In this world of inflexible testing- the kids need a chance to be creative in more than just bricks & bots.
Thanks to the Polar Vortex & Mark Kistler for making me see that kids need to draw every day.
Every year I have tried to come up with a creative challenge… some years are better than others.I’ve made a pinewood derby car completely by hand- meaning using only a pocket knife & sandpaper.Developed an educational card game that never made it past the initial testing phase. I’ve drawn a monkey day for an entire year… and in the process miscounted & also did the same monkey twice- different drawings, but the same character.I even have said I’d produce a comic strip/book… some challenges have been successes, others… epic fails (don’t ask me about knitting).
With everything that went on in 2018* my only creative challenge was to stay sane through it all- another epic failure.
So 2019 is just around the corner & my goal for this year is to post something each week. Lame, I know it, but hopefully habit forming.This could be pretty much anything.It might be a drawing, maybe random thoughts on the state of public education, something cool that happened at school, STEM/STEAM lessons & units, classroom MacGuffins, reviews of stuff- LEGO sets, educational toys, cat toys, comics, movies, games…
I’m giving myself a lot of room, because I know sometime I’m going to need it. I have a bunch of stuff I’ve acquired recently, so I’ll probably start there- a few new bots, a vinyl cutter, giving me a reason to push myself into trying new things instead of looking at pretty boxes and wondering what I should do with the contents.
So the big question is what’s YOUR creative goal for 2019? Not just a silly resolution or making sure you write 2019 instead of 2018 starting tomorrow.
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*Whathappenedin2018?
We can start off with me actually becoming an adult- when there isn’t anyone alive anymore to call you that annoying childhood nickname- you realize you aren’t a child anymore.The passing of my mom changed my perspective on the world & my place in it.I’ll be dealing with those ramifications for a very long time.I spent a lot of 2018 just keeping busy to avoid thinking about it.
The “finishing” of the school renovation (which still isn’t completely finished) has been draining both physically & emotionally.It has tried my patience and I just hope that the 2019-20 school year starts with everything finally being in place.
Most recently, managing two robotics tournaments in the space of a month… two different robotics programs. Pushed this fiercely independent introvert way out of his comfort zone & even closer to the breaking point.
Those were a few of the big rocks… put on top of that the entire climate in the US and it’s amazing we all haven’t gone crazy- then again, crazy seems to be the new normal.
So, last night I participated in the monthly #educomix twitter chat which has kinda made me look at what is in my classroom graphic novel library.Please understand, for the last 2 years I have not been a classroom teacher, I have been a “special” teacher meaning I see every student in the school one day a week.I did the math and figured I see kids somewhere around 27 hours a year.I pick a handful of kids to check out one book when they leave my class.If I let everyone my entire class time would be used checking out books.Sure some books go missing, things happen. The saddest thing that has ever happened was when a student returned to my room handing back the book he had just checked out. I asked him why and he replied, “My teacher wont let me read this, it’s not at my level.”My solution- I asked him his ZPD and found him books at his level.My question is whatever happened to pleasure reading?If I stuck to books “at my level” I’d only be able to read dissertations.
When I first started teaching, 30 years ago I remember bringing in my comics as a way to teach my first graders how to sort and classify things.They thought it was cool and my collection got organized, win-win.Since then I’ve always had some kind of a graphic novel library in my classroom. The only rule was you could not only have comic books.My personal rule was to avoid comic strip compilations and focus on publishers other than Marvel & DC. That doesn’t mean I don’t have Spider-Man or Batman it just means that is a small part of my library.That can be harder than it seems. The biggest problem has been replacing books – they go out of print and no one collects all ages comics.I must thank @comiccarnival for looking out for me.I come in and there are pages from Previews with books circled and notes next to them.So teachers get to know your local comic shop.Don’t just drop by on Free Comic Book Day and ask for class sets of whatever they have left.Talk to them about the books they have, ask for suggestions- you’ll find out quickly what they think is appropriate for your kids.
Caveat Emptor: While kids are open to a lot of ideas, parents have a lot of baggage and think their child understands situations the same way they do.This is how books get banned, principals get called, bad things happen to good people.So here’s what’s in my graphic novel library- remember what I have might not work for your class.
In no particular order (s= series):
Bone (s) – Jeff Smith
Amulet (s) – Kazu Kibushi
Ordinary People Change the World (s) Brad Meltzer & Chris Eliopoulos
Science Comics (s) – various Published by First Second
The Baby Sitter’s Club (s) – various published by Scholastic
Mighty Jack (s) – Ben Hatke
Zita the Space Girl( s) – Ben Hatke
Cleopatra in Space (s) – Mike Maihack
Leave It to Chance (s) – James Robinson & Paul Smith
Secret Coders (s) Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes
Salem Hyde (s) – Frank Cammuso
Hilo (s) – Judd Winick
Giants Beware – Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
Dragons Beware – Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
Monsters Beware – Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado
G Man (s) – Chris Giarrusso
Red’s Planet (s) – Eddie Pittman
Super Dinosaur (s) – Robert Kirkman & Jason Howard
Smash (s) – Chris A. Bolton and Kyle Bolton
Little Guardians (s) – Ed Cho & Lee Cherolis
Dreamland Chronicles (s) – Scott Christian Sava
Star Drop (s) – Mark Oakley
Smile – Raina Telgemeier
Sisters – Raina Telgemeier
Ghosts – Raina Telgemeier
Drama – Raina Telgemeier
El Deafo – CeCe Bell
Solution Squad – Jim McClain
Reading with Pictures – Various
Time Shifters – Chris Grine
All’s Faire in Middle School – Victoria Jamieson
Roller Girls – Victoria Jamieson
Pigs Might Fly – Nick Abadzis and Jerel Dye
The Adventures of Superhero Girl – Faith Hicks
Mouse Guard (s) – David Petersen
Jellaby (s) – Kean Soo
Spidey – Robbie Thompson & Nick Bradshaw
Camp Midnight – Steven Seagle and Jason Katzenstein
Anna’s Ghost – Vera Brosgol
Making Friends – Kristen Gudsnuk
The Courageous Princess (s) – Rod Espinosa
Howtoons: Tools of Mass Construction – Nick Dragotta & Saul Griffith
Howtoons (Re)Ignition – Fred Van Lente & Tom Fowler
Kid Beowulf (s) – Alexis E. Fajardo
Animal Crackers – Scott Christian Sava & Mike Holmes
Herobear & the Kid – Mike Kunkel
Sunny Side Up – Jennifer Holm & Matt Holm
Power Pack Vol.1 – Marc Sumerak & Gurihiru
Tiny Titans (s) – Art Baltazar & Franco Aureliani
Teen Titans Go (s) – various
Lunch Lady (s) – Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Leon Protector of the Playground – Jamar Nichols
Buzz Boy – John Gallagher
RoBoy Red – Rich Faber & John Gallagher
New Brighton Archeological Society (s) – Mark Andrew Smith & Andrew Weldon
Little Tails (s) – Frederic Brremaud & various
Cowboy -Chris Eliopoulos
Phoebe and her Unicorn (s) – Dana Simpson
Making Scents – Arthur Yorinks and Braden Lamb
Cosmic Commandos – Chris Eliopoulos
Monster Mayhem – Chris Eliopoulos
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales (s) – Nathan Hale
Comic Squad – Jennifer Holm & Matthew Holm
Albert the Alien (s) – Trevor Mueller and Gabriel Bautista
Star Scouts (s) – Mike Lawrence
Space Battle Lunchtime – Natalie Riess
Suee and the Shadow – Ginger Ly & Molly Park
Mr. Wolf’s Class (s) – Aron Nels Steinke
Geeky Fab 5 (s)- Liz Lareau and Lucy Lareau
Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam (s)- various
Sheets – Brenna Thummler
DC Secret Society (s) – Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen
Nameless City (s) – Faith Hicks
The Princess Who Saved Herself –Jonathan Coulton and Greg Pak
Amelia Rules – Jimmy Gownley
The Dumbest Idea Ever – Jimmy Gownley
Dream Jumper (s) – Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom
Kitten Construction Company – John Patrick Green
Crafty Cat (s) – Charise Mericle Harper
Regal Academy (s) – various
Dare Detectives (s) – Ben Caldwell
City on the Other Side – Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson
Cucumber Quest (s) – Gigi D.G.
The Creepy Case Files of Marco Maloo – Drew Weing
Catsronauts (s) – Drew Brockington
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in 8th Grade – Landry Walker and Eric Jones
Quirk’s Quest (s) – Robert Christie and Deborah Lang
March Gran Prix (s) – Kean Soo
Binky the Space Cat – Ashley Spires
I know that seems like a lot but to make sure every kid has something that interests them you need to have a wide variety. I also have some good old fashioned comic books in short boxes also. The only rule is that you return it as close to the way you got it.
For the last few years I’ve been reliving my youth by playing Dungeons & Dragons. While there is a very nice game store nearby, I drive over to my favorite comic shop twice a month to answer the call of adventure. I know that many stores have games open to everyone so check out your local game shop or comic book shop if you are interested in trying it out. For first timers they tend to have pre-generated characters ready for you. This is not a post about fantasy role playing games, but rather something that has grown out of my characters’ adventures. I am currently running two characters: Cecil (you know I had to name one that), and Peter. One on Wednesdays and one on Sundays. Since the beginning I took notes to help me keep track from month to month. While the person running the adventure keeps notes and recaps at the start, I just feel better & have found it helps me focus.
So on Wednesdays, Cecil Ookington-Smythe – a halfling rogue fights to save the world from being taken over by evil dragons & those that worship evil dragons. If I slipped into geekspeak here’s a rough translation- I’m roleplaying a hobbit (you know like the short guys in Lord of the Rings- the ones without beards) he’s a thief/spy. I sneak around & do a lot of lurking, although as luck would have it he’s dealt the killing blow to a dragon so he can add “Dragonslayer” to his name. For Sunday’s adventure I am something completely different. I’m playing Peter Paulenmary, a half elf bard (think storyteller). While I’ve been using Cecil for a lot longer, I’ve really tried to flesh out Peter’s back story a bit more. Cecil’s excuse is he has told so many lies about his origin, he doesn’t remember the truth. Peter’s basically a guy running around gathering stories of adventure, He’s not looking for fame or fortune, just a spot in the local tavern to spin tales of heroes and get some free drinks. He has ended up taking some bad advice by heading to Ravenloft (think Transylvania) and is trapped with the band of adventurers he had met on the road. I like to think of the group wishing they hadn’t taken that left turn in Albuquerque. He’s pretty light-hearted & optimistic, he keeps a leather bound notebook that was given to him by his mentor, Woodrow of Guthrie, along with his favorite history book by S. Morgenstern.
So as the adventures have gone on, I’ve been taking notes. These started as just lists & names, but have become much more elaborate as you can see from the examples. This is basically how I see Peter’s notebook, filled with doodles and information that, when time finally permits, may be made into that great novel, song, epic poem, whatever. So while the actual comic has been on hold for way too long (I only have lame excuses as to why) I’m still recording a “geek odyssey” of sorts. Like anything, my style has changed over time, but it adds a little something to our adventures. Note: in some cases off topic bits from conversations end up in there. Proper conventions of writing are ignored, including spelling since many words are made up so a “phonetic-ish” spelling is used.
& so it begins… after a month break I tend to start off with just words.SO the adventure really starts to take off… trolls & ghosts and I almost die.Somehow I get dragged into a tar pit by some ghasts… and almost die.Getting to the fight before confronting the big bad guy. orcs & snake people. Did I mention the rest of my group decided to run away?So fighting a group of orcs & snake people ends up almost killing me (again)Finally we confront the big baddie who is trying to control a troll/dragon spirit and… You guessed it I almost die.So the adventure ends and the spoils are handed out. You may have noticed that some notes are circled in blue- that way I can find our spoils so I can total things up. The result of my flirting with death- I get a magic item that will allow me to escape once per day! Hopefully I won’t die as many times.
MINI Takes The States (MTTS) all started 10 years ago with the last model year of the first generation MINI. To kick off this historical event MINIUSA decided to go on a road trip. Starting in California and ending in Connecticut. It has since become a tradition that biennially MINIUSA celebrates its owners with a trip. This year the theme was “Track to Track” Starting at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and ending in Thermal, California. This isn’t just for fun (although it was) MINI Takes The States has a purpose. When MINI Takes The States first started I don’t even recall if there was a charity. Since then this has really become a trip about helping out. Feeding America was the charity this time around and we had a goal to raise enough money to provide 800,000 meals.
It all began with much fanfare and three guys parachuting into the new MINI convertible. A parade lap around the track and off to our next destination Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Before we get into too much of this adventure you probably need to know what a typical day on the road is like. Each morning we Rise and Shine (literally, the event is called the “Rise & Shine”) Which brings us early in the morning to our starting point, usually some thing significant or at least large enough to park a whole lot of cars. Did I mention that over 400 MINIs did the entire route and there were well over 1,000 people taking part each day? So after you follow the green flags and park, there is an area that has: the bus, a number of tents from either MINIUSA or some of the sponsors, and breakfast. People are milling about either registering, picking up their button (each city has its own button, you wear it on your lanyard so people can see where you started), getting a route sheet, talking to people, getting tickets to enter in the daily drawings, buying swag, or donating to Feeding America (either cash or non perishable foodstuffs). Basically a sea of people who share one thing in common, the MINI.
As we get close to departure time, Desiree, our Mistress of Ceremonies, gets on stage to start things off. We have general announcements, meet the “Executive of the Day” from MINIUSA HQ, go over the route with a local MINI owner, hear from the the local food bank about how our little bit is making a difference in the area, Then the various door prize drawings, from MINI Value Service, MINI Accessories, Pirelli Tire, and the local food bank. The last drawing is for everyone, you don’t need a ticket, but if you don’t show up after your name has been called three times, your name goes into “the pocket of doom.” We close with awards for the person who has raised the most money the previous day, the person who had the best tweet about #defyhunger, the leaderboard for the top car club, the infamous “Bug of the Day”(what most likely wil be splattered on the windshield), oh, and the car of the day- who gets a MINI Takes The States door magnet. Then we are sent to our cars to have a parade lap at the track or just head off to who knows where.
MTTS 2016 at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan
Getting 400 MINIs out of town is difficult, most days there were a lot more that 400. Usually we had the help of local law enforcement to get us out safely & quickly. Once on the road we were on our own. Many people would meet up with fellow MINIs and drive together. Having a radio was essential so you could communicate between cars. Everyone was given a route, on paper or electronically through the MTTS App. The route had been planned to take you past some beautiful country, and to see things you wouldn’t see if you just drove from city to city on the interstate. Somewhere along the route was a “Surprise & Delight.” Some location, usually in a small town. One day it was stopping for lemonade another day cupcakes, each was unique I doubt I would have stopped at “Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum” in Pennsylvania if it weren’t for the surprise and delight. When you arrived in town you could crash at your hotel, or you could attend the evening event. This event brought everyone to some interesting locations in the host city, mostly to rehash the days drive and socialize, and a chance to try out some local delicacies. In Charlotte we visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, Baltimore took us to the B&O Museum, Cheyanne we went to a rodeo. Fortunately, MINIUSA had planned in a few nights off so people could explore on their own (and do laundry). At the end of the night we head back to our hotel room and sleep until the morning, when we do it all again, for 15 days.
I’ve done part of each MINI Takes The States from one leg to the entire thing (twice). What makes this a fantastic trip is not just the places you see, the roads you drive on, but mostly the people you meet. I heard over and over again, “When you buy a MINI, it comes standard with friends” thanks to my adventures on MINI Takes The States I have friends from all over the world (who I’ve actually met, not just on Facebook).
For the record- round trip: 8,100 miles. Meals provided through Feeding America: 1.3 million.
A picture tells a thousand words so here’s the link to the MINIUSA’s photographers’ MTTS Gallery
So we’re a week out from MINI Takes The States 2016 and in preparation for this epic adventure I am… Doing nothing. While many folks out there have printed the route sheets, and repackaged their MINI a bazillion times, and done practice runs, and had their MINI serviced and detailed (full transparency I did do that), and contacted their next of kin, and… You get the idea. We all have come to realize that most of Social Media is just to turn the drama up to eleven, and it goes. So looking at everything am I laughing or make fun of anyone who has made sure all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. Not really, everyone has their level of comfort when traveling and not being in control of the majority of a trip does increase the discomfort. For me, I took my roadster in for service, just like I did in 2014. While there, since I have been lazy (real reason is we threw out our old hose and hadn’t gotten it replaced until now) I had the roadster detailed. So it would be ready for the trip. Came back with a clean bill of health and all nice and shiny. I’ve also added a little MTTS 2016 graphics to the car. So what do I still need to do? Pack I guess. For the monkey and me. What am I bringing, a messenger bag, and a suitcase – the one I take on planes. I’ll have things squirreled away in the car, but I definitely hope I will not over pack.
In the suitcase:
Pants (jeans, and pants with zip off legs)
Shorts (maybe, I always get myself into trouble with sunburns so I’ll flip a coin at the last minute)
Shirts (MINI related- this is one of the only times you can get away with a MINI shirt every day) any in particular? I’ve got a few on my short list, and at least one required.
Maybe a shirt with a collar.
Meds, toiletries, underwear, socks
Two pairs of shoes – In my experience feet start to rebel when you wear the same shoes for too long,
In the Messenger Bag:
Electronics chargers (for iDevices and batteries)
An iPad
My sketchbook or a Bristol pad or both
Drawing stuff – pencils, erasers, pens
Glasses cleaning cloth
In the Car (within reach):
iPhone with Waze and MTTS apps
FRS radio with headset set to 7:21
30 oz. Yeti knockoff cup
Snacks – trail mix, beef jerky, that kind of stuff.
Sunglasses
Sunscreen SPF 50
My Tilley and a ball cap.
Windshield cleaning wipes
Tire pressure gauge (in the glovebox -always)
In the Car (most likely in the boot):
An umbrella
A towel
A blanket
A waterproof jacket or pullover
Various cleaning supplies (Microfiber towels, Griot’s Speedshine) most of this stuff is already there.
Going over this list just now, I feel as if I’m bringing too much or maybe overthinking it. But this is about it and I can guarantee I’ve forgotten something important. (Squirt gums are optional) I think Sue’s list is similar except for the drawing supplies, she have knitting things and her GPS loaded with cache coordinates.
What no camera? I have a lovely Nikon DSLR that I really haven’t used since I started taking snapshots with my phone. It has two lenses, lots of memory cards, and takes beautiful pictures, but it’s hard to capture a spontaneous moment when you’ve got so much to check on and set. If I have room I might include it because of some the picturesque places we will be visiting, but probably not.
ook? I’m ready, are you?What about Cecil? His list is pretty easy:
Shirts, one for every day (yes, he has enough for even longer trips)
Socks
Two pair of shoes
Book bag filled with buttons – no he doesn’t have a specific button like he had in 2014. With the whole “premium” rebranding he wasn’t sure whether the background would be black or white so he decided not to this time around. So he has some of his monkey buttons.
A hat or two
For those who do not know about Cecil, he is a fully registered participant this time around. In 2014 he was included as a “pet” which confused MINIUSA and made Cecil irate that he would be considered at the same level as a dog. Oh yes, Cecil is a stuffed Monkey, who has MINIons around the world aiding him in his struggle for world domination. You might see a few at MTTS. Currently that includes raising money for Feeding America, through MINIUSA’s #defyhunger campaign during MTTS2016. If you would like to help, visit his team page and make a donation. Anyone who donates will get a hand draw monkey (one of Cecil’s MINIons) suitable for doing something with. No two are alike. End of sales pitch.
This month has been pretty interesting especially for a guy who tends to think that he is never “good enough.” Don’t blame me, I grew up trying to live up to my parents view of “good enough” that usually had something to do with being successful in areas I could care less about- i.e. sports or school popularity. So, even at 50ish, when I get recognized for something I usually think there must have been a mistake. When I received an email from MINIUSA that I had been nominated for their “Defy Labels” contest, I first thought there must have been a clerical error. You see at the Super Bowl (It’s a TV show about commercials that has a football game breaking up the ads) MINI had a spot kicking off their new image/branding. Whatever, I still like my Roadster.
https://youtu.be/Y9XqYAzbmTI
Basically, I read the message of the commercial as putting things in neat little boxes devalues the item or looking at the people speaking- the person. Don’t worry about what other people think, be yourself, labels limit the possibilities. A classier view of being “Not Normal.” So I get this email with my full nomination: “If you think teachers are all about suede jackets with elbow patches and boring monotone lectures, you’ve never met Bruce. Teaching isn’t just a job or a career to him. It’s the intersection of art and LEGOs and robots and comics. Bruce knows that kids learn best when you strip away the classroom – and the labels that come with it – and you dig into learning with passion and creativity. When kids have teachers like Bruce who dare to do things differently, they learn more than just what’s in the text book. They learn to creatively approach challenges and they learn that it’s perfectly okay to take the road that looks the most exciting.” The silly part is that they have a character limit on what they display for each person so it ends on “Bruce knows that kids learn best when you strip…” which kinda makes me sound like someone you would never want near children.
A few weeks later I get another email (I really need to start filtering my incoming mail)- This time from one of our district high schools letting me know that one of the top 30 seniors named me as their most influential teacher. Wha? Huh? I think about how I have to teach now, and try to remember what I did eight years ago that was so great… Oh, yeah that was before anyone really cared about test scores, and school grades, when we could teach without fear. I thought about the student who nominated me (I was required to write 100 words about her for the award ceremony) and I fumbled over what to say, trying to think back to when I could teach, really teach. She’s a wonderful young lady with a bright future and I hope I found the right words. She was also asked to write something about me. On Wednesday I stood on a stage across from her and heard about how I had made it “okay to make mistakes,” and that I was one of the first teachers that let them know the person behind the desk, that teachers had interests to share and be excited about (MINI Coopers, Geocaching, and of course Cecil). I held back tears, quipped about how Cecil was sorry he couldn’t be there, and smiled… waiting to be escorted off the stage by security because there had been a mistake.
Like I said, I know that there had to be a clerical error in both cases. I’m know I’m not that good- That I can be better. With that in mind I have set a new goal: I want to be the teacher everyone thinks I am. I may not be teaching much longer with that mindset (thank you politics), but at least my students will be better off (Does anybody really care what a rhombus is?) and I will be happier.
For the record this post is not about asking for reassurances, pats on the back, or even votes. I just felt I needed to get this out of my head so I could move on. It usually happens with drawings, but this one is sorta hard to doodle. It was an honor to be nominated- I appreciate the people who believe in me enough to do so. Now I just need to live up to that honor.
Each year I give myself a creative challenge. In 2015 it was draw a monkey (one of Cecil’s Minions) each day. This has led me to my greatest challenge yet- a year of Wombats!
OK just kidding… This years challenge is a bit cerebral. This year I’d like to to accomplish three things on the creative front. 1. Take all the MINIon Badges I’ve done and create a book with all of them (thank you Chris for giving me that idea). 2. Finally get the game I designed for my students years ago into a playable format. It deals with the rock cycle and helps them to remember what it takes to make igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Not as scientifically accurate as it could be, it at least is a start for elementary kids. 3. Gizmo Girl. I’ve got a story or two, I’ve done character designs, so get a finished issue (24 pages) ready for printing by the end of the year. In the mean time I’d also like to start doing My Geek Odyssey a little more regularly since I’m not drawing monkeys every day. This isn’t a challenge (although it kinda sorta is) more like an ambiguous goal. Basically, I’d like to have more comic strips posted that I did in 2015.
So that’s going to be my 2016 on the creative front. I hope you’ll stick around to see if I actually accomplish anything.
Just Only John by Jack Kent – A boy with an active imagination who wants more.
The Wuggie Norple Story by Daniel Pinkwater & Tomie dePaolo – It’s got a cat in it and a whistle fixer- what else could you ask for?
Big Bad Bruce by Bill Peet. My intro to Bill Peet back when I was “Mr. Bruce”
The Brave Little Toaster by Thomas Disch. It was a book before a movie!
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline It was a book before a movie too and while I completely understand how difficult it would be to hold an audiences attention for hours of watching someone play Pac Man, “Never judge a book by its movie”
Dream Park by Larry Niven & Steven Barnes. Holographic Roll Playing Game, with a murder mystery & in awesome amusement park? What’s not to love? Grab some cargo and find a copy.
Another Fine Myth (Part of the Myth Adventures Series) by Robert Lynn Aspirin. My introduction to the genre “Comic Fantasy.” Full of puns and an amazing multiverse full of demons. As I always recommend when it comes to series- start at the beginning with Skeeve & Garkin.
Thanks to the Polar Vortex & Mark Kistler for making me see that kids need to draw every day. 
