Ouch!

My heart hurts...

Election Fatigue

Is anyone else completely exhausted of this election? Doesn't it seem like we have been discussing these same candidates and same issues for years? Oh wait, we have. From the picture above (this is not a doctored image BTW), maybe McCain is getting exhausted too or just realizing his chances in this election are slipping away.

Last nights debate was by far the most interesting. However, I still couldn't stand to sit through the entire thing. I have become more and more cynical as the election has progressed and am looking forward to the end. Part of me doesn't even care who wins and just wants it to be over--okay, that isn't the truth, I do care who wins, but I do really want it to be over.


Unfortunately, (in what I think are some fairly desperate and ridiculous attempts by McCain to gain some points in the polls) the presidential election has turned pretty petty and ugly. However, nothing is as bad as the senate race in our beautiful state of Oregon. Jeff Merkley (D) and Gordon Smith (R-incumbent) have been slaughtering each other in personal attack adds for months. I am really struggling with choosing between either of them because I think that they have acted very similarly to my middle school students. It is like they are middle school girls that are passing notes and writing on the bathroom stalls a bunch of elaborated rumors about each other. It is pitiful and a poor example for the youth of America.

Luckily, only 18 more days.

The First Month of School

Here is a picture of me and James on our very first day of school---he woke up at 6:30 and as I was getting out of the shower, he opened the door and was completely dressed and singing, "Today's my first day of schoo--ool!" I just hope that he will always be this excited about school, I know that I was when I was a kid and still do, but this year was different.

I suppose that it has been long enough now that I need to face the reality of being back at school. Needless to say, it has been a rough adjustment back to work. I have never quite felt this way at the start of the school year. Normally, I relish in the back to school sales and look forward to meeting the one hundred or so 13 year olds that walk through my door. But this year was different.....I was annoyed that the sales on school supplies started at the beginning of July, a whole two months before school started. Don't get me wrong, I am still proud that I can get 100 folders for one dollar, but I just want to do that in August rather than before the fireworks of the 4th. And that was just the beginning.

I dragged myself to work the last week of August and attended my meetings, but had little motivation to put my room back together. Because we have carpet in all of our classrooms, they clean it during the summer and we have to have everything boxed up so that they can clean the floors. It is pretty obnoxious to have to pack everything up every year (perhaps it is a good thing, otherwise I would never sort through some of my junk) but this year I didn't care to put any of it back. I was overwhelmed by my class lists and couldn't imagine having enough room in my head to care about one hundred more adolescents. I also found out that I wasn't going to have the same prep period as my friends for the first time, and I know it sounds petty and childish, but I was real sad.

So now that we are a month in, I am slowly dragging myself out of my slump. I have some incredible students that are fun to teach and excited to be in my class. We have already had our Family Literacy Night and gotten Battle of the Books going and that is a huge relief for me. Something happens each and every day that reminds me why I love teaching---for me, it is all about the students. They make me laugh when they do something silly; they make me sad when I see them causing each other such heart ache; they make me proud when they accomplish something that they didn't think they were going to be able to do; and they make me cry when they share with me the hardships that no thirteen year old should ever have to deal with. I love teaching and am so grateful for the things that I learn everyday from these hormonal, drama-seeking teenagers.

Owen the Big Boy

In honor of Owen celebrating his big birthday, I just wanted to share a crazy story about how big he is getting.

A few weeks ago, Owen was sleeping and somehow lost his binky in the middle of the night. For those of you that know Owen well, you know how much he loves his binky at night (luckily he has always understood that the binky is just for bedtime and naptime--but he definitely looked forward to being able to use his pacifier). After some searching in the night, Kristine couldn't find the little binky and Owen was forced to go to sleep without it. Surprisingly to both myself and Kristine (and probably Owen too) he made it through the night. We decided to use this as a perfect opportunity to get rid of the binky.

Kristine is an incredible mother and when it was time for James to give up his binky, she made up the story (illustrated and all) about the Binky Dragon. When little boys and girls get to be too big for their binky, they wrap it up like a present and put it out at night. In the middle of the night the Binky Dragon comes to collect the binky and then takes it to a new baby that needs a binky.

So when we found the binky the following morning and unsuccessfully hid it, we decided it was time for another visit from the binky dragon. Owen wrapped up his binky--with the help of James of course.

Then we put the wrapped binky on mommy and daddy's dresser (because Owen was a little scared about a dragon coming into his room at night). The binky was gone in the morning and we haven't needed one since (Owen has said that the Binky Dragon took his binky to Charlie--maybe it was easier knowing that his little cuz was benefiting from his sacrifice).

Owen has been going through so many big boy changes that it has made me a little sad that he is growing up so quickly. He has made the switch into sleeping in the top bunk bed above James, he has made some progress with potty training, and it just makes me sad that my little trouble maker is growing up. But nevertheless, happy birthday my little Owie bear.

Battle of the Books II

I have recently posted about a few of these books, but I thought that I would provide you with the entire list. So far, I haven't loved these books as much as last year, but if you love fantasy and science fiction there are several that the students have enjoyed. So feel free to grab some of these and let me know what you think!

Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher
Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz
Atherton: House of Power by Patrick Carman
Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson
Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull**
Fire on the Wind by Linda Crew
Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary**
Half-moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer**
Minerva Clark Gets a Clue by Karen Karbo**
Peak by Roland Smith**
The Pinhoe Egg by Diana Wynn Jones
Sea Otter Rescue by Roland Smith
The Stout-hearted Seven by Neta Lohnes Frazier
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
**Books I highly recommend

This year we only chose books that are written by authors that are from the Northwest or the setting of the book takes place here. If anyone read Beverly Cleary's books when you were little, you would enjoy A Girl From Yamhill. It is a memoir written by her. I loved it. Happy reading!

Daddy's Last Week of Summer Extravaganza

So unfortunately this past week was my last week of summer break. I was in a slight depression because after teaching summer school I didn't feel like I had relaxed enough. I know, I shouldn't complain...most of the working world would love to have several weeks off in the summer, so I will bite my tongue. However, since it was my last week of not having to go to work, James and I sat down and decided to plan out a week full of activities that we could enjoy together-just the boys (Owen was included). This allowed me to spend some quality time with my two favorite guys and gave Kristine a nice break so she could pursue all of her sewing adventures and go and look for fabric without two hooligans running and hiding under the bolts of fabric. So here is a report of our adventures.



Monday: We launched our Week of Fun at Chuck E. Cheese. I know, I know, Chuck E. Cheese can be kind of ridiculous and I still am slightly scared of the jerky robotics of the Chuck E. Cheese band, but we love to go--if only to play skeeball, the basketball games, and the new Deal or No Deal game. We had quite a bit of success and the boys were rewarded with some cheap plastic toys, most definitely made in China, that broke or were lost within an hour of being acquired. We finished the night by going to one of our favorite restaurants, Chicken Bonz.



Tuesday: Today we first went to the children's museum here in Eugene called The Science Factory. We played music on all of their new "Noise!" exhibits, screamed as loud as we could in the decibel measuring chamber, and the boys put on a fantastic puppet show. Then we extended our educational fun by going to the library. This is a weekly event anyway, but it isn't often that I get to take the boys. We had a great time looking through the books. Since James is becoming such a great reader, it is fun to try to find easy chapter books that he finds interesting. Owen mostly runs around, not listening, but the minute you hand him a book, he plops down right on the floor and reads. Pretty adorable. I also picked up a book that they had on hold for me, The Candy Shop War (see previous post), and it was a fun read.



Wednesday: We decided to have a movie night party. We went to the store and purchased our favorite treats and then put out a blanket on our floor and watched the movie of their choice, Alvin and the Chipmunks. We devoured licorice, popcorn, sour patch kids, and airheads as we watched those slightly obnoxious chipmunks learn the valuable life lesson that fame and fortune don't necessarily bring happiness....I am sure that is what James and Owen got out of it, not the subtle potty humor and annoying singing.

Thursday: We had planned to go camping, but had to postpone due to some much needed summer rain.



Friday/Saturday: James, Owen, and I took off for the Oregon coast to enjoy some quality camping time. We really wanted to stay at our favorite campground at Carter Lake, but it was full, so we ended up just north at the Lagoon Campground which is part of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. It was a nice place as well. We enjoyed hiking, eating s'mores and hotdogs, collecting shells, birdwatching, and swimming.

I must admit that when I return to work tomorrow morning I will be going through withdrawals of being with my boys. I admit that there are many times when I have run out of patience and get tired of them ignoring me and constantly annoying one another and pushing each other's buttons; but for the most part they are the most brilliant, funny, wonderful people and I am so happy to be their dad.

Long Time Due

This summer I have been spending much of my time reading the new list of books for our Battle of the Books 2008-2009. So far I have been very impressed and wanted to share a few books that I have found especially great.

FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull



This is the first book in a series (three have been published, two will come out in the next few years). It is an incredible book full of imagination and adventure. It follows a brother and sister who discover that their grandparents live on a magical preserve. The story is somewhat like Harry Potter in the fact that it contains these fantastical creatures, but somehow it remains relateable and the characters are extraordinary. It might help that the author is a graduate of BYU :) The other two books are also outstanding and it is a great series that I would recommend to anyone. The author has another book out, THE CANDY SHOP WAR, which I am currently reading which is also excellent. Good stuff.

THE PENDERWICKS ON GARDAM STREET by Jeanne Birdsall



This is the second book about the Penderwick family. The first won the National Book Award for youth fiction. I loved both books. They are pretty simple books that are reminiscent of The Boxcar Children series or television shows from the 50s or 60s like The Donna Reed Show or Leave it to Beaver. It centers around a family of four girls, whose mother died of cancer, and their adventures. They are quick reads, well-written, and a beautiful portrayal of a close family that rely on each other. I really enjoyed the first book, but think that the second might be even better.

There is nothing better than having a great book to read. So take advantage of these last few weeks of warmth and sun and dive into a great book, I know that I will. If you have read something great this summer, leave a comment and I would love to check it out.

Do we learn from history?

John Quincy Adams (eerily similar to John McCain?)


I came into this presidential election with excitement for new candidates and a renewed sense of citizenship. Now that it is finally almost time for us Oregonians to have our primary election, I find myself completely frustrated and fatigued with the whole process. I am tired of the same political commentators talking about the same boring things and feeling as if we are getting no where. I have even relegated my previous admiration for Senator Obama to a feeling of exasperation and a willingness to settle for whatever the result is going to be. I would even be fine with the she-devil herself as my President if this whole process could just be over. The thought that there are still months and months to go until the final election is completely overwhelming and our nights spent watching Anderson Cooper are waning. (We have watched more CNN during the past few months than I had previously watched in my entire lifetime)

I wonder if the founding fathers of this great nation ever thought that the presidential election would come to this. But then, I was just teaching about the presidential election of 1824. Back then there weren’t necessarily two main political parties. The Federalist party had disbanded because of the societal outrage at the Alien and Sedition Acts that were championed by John Adams and his followers. The Democratic-Republicans had conflicting interests and we ended up with four main candidates for the presidency: John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford. All four of these candidates considered themselves a member of the same party and when it came time for the election, no candidate had a majority—in either popular or electoral votes. Andrew Jackson received 43% of the vote and 99 electoral votes and John Quincy Adams received 31% of the popular vote and 84 votes from the electoral college. Therefore, according to the 12th Amendment the House of Representatives would select the President. As you can imagine, there was quite a bit of kissing up, promises made, and back door dealing in the House as they prepared for the vote. In the end, John Quincy Adams would receive the most votes and become the 6th President of the United States.

The four years that followed were fairly tumultuous years in Washington, D.C. as popular opinion against the President was incredibly low (which makes sense since not even one-third of the people actually voted for the guy). He wasn’t able to accomplish much of anything and his four years as President is relegated to one short paragraph in my history textbook. I fear that this might be a similar outcome for the next president. We are so hungry for a change in the executive office, but are now growing rapidly tired of the fighting and bickering that is occurring. I had felt that perhaps as a result of this election, more people would take an active role in their government and we would see a revolution of sorts in the way people feel and interact with their government. Now I am included in the masses of people who want this all to be over so that we can get on with our poor, politically-apathetic lives.

DVR troubles

So Kristine and I have this recurring problem. Whenever there is any sort of a big game on that goes into overtime or is the least bit exciting....we never get to see the end. We had worked so hard to get the kids in bed, to have family time, and were looking forward to finally watching a close game in this tournament that has been riddled with boring blow-outs. We were sitting on the edge of our seats hoping Kansas could pull it out against the cocky (2007 Florida-reminiscent) Tigers of Memphis; there were 15 seconds or so left and there comes that ugly gray and blue screen demanding a choice of "start over" or "delete." Of course we had started the game a good hour or so late and by the time we reached this pitiful end, the game was already over. So here we sit watching ESPN and watching the poor Memphis players with red eyes trying to struggle through ridiculous questions like, "So Mr. Rose, are you going to the NBA?" The poor kid (yes, the same poor kids whose dreams I wanted squashed because they were too self-assured) just saw the chance of a lifetime run through his fingers and they have given him a whole ten minutes to make the biggest decision of his life.

The moral of this story is that there is an ugly side to the DVR. We praise it for saving us and allowing us to watch all of our favorite shows after we have put the buddies to bed, but we loathe it for denying us the excitement of the best of March Madness. Ughhh!

Do you know who you are?

"You are the son of..." James Fuller.

I missed being with my dad tonight. When I lived in Utah, we (myself, my dad, my brother, and occasionally a brother in law or two) had made quite a tradition of attending the priesthood session of conference in the conference center. Tonight I attended at my stake center in Eugene with a friend from our ward. It was a great session, but as I looked around the chapel, seeing fathers and sons listening to our new prophet together, I was struck with extreme longing for one more chance to share in this great spirit of brotherhood with my dad.

My dad is a pretty incredible person. He has always been loved and admired by nearly everyone in his life. My friends would often come over and end up talking to him upstairs (as I sat annoyed downstairs--at the time I found this completely obnoxious, but looking back find it an endearing quality about my father). He is a high school teacher, and a very good one at that. He has inspired many to achieve great things. Including me.

Even though I had my father as a teacher, a bishop, a coach (for a very short period of time--just wanted to make sure that everyone still knew that I continue to hold a grudge about that fact :), it was when I was thousands of miles away from my father that I felt his inspiration nearly every day. As a missionary for my church in Paris, France, I often relied upon my dad and his testimony to strengthen me during rough times. I looked forward to his weekly letters and carried them with me in my backpack. I would pull them out on buses or trains and my vigor for missionary work would be strengthened. I wanted to make him proud of me.

Now, I am a teacher myself. As much as I tried to avoid a career in education (partly in an effort to be different than my dad and partly from greed for a larger salary), I finally accepted it and now it consumes my life. My father has set the standard for what I want to accomplish in my classroom. I hope to one day inspire students in a way that I am sure my father continues to do.

Finally, I am amazed at the memories that I have of spending time with my father. He was an incredibly busy man when I was growing up (and still is). He worked two full-time jobs, always had a demanding church calling, and coached two or three sports during the school year. However, I have many fond memories of working outside with my dad, going on random fishing trips, riding in the big white van to some recreational event, sitting at Brigham City Hall in the recreation department office, and receiving priesthood blessings at the beginning of each school year. I can not explain to you how much my father means to me. I respect him for the amazing life that he has led. I admire him for his wisdom and spiritual strength. I love him with all of my heart. Thanks dad.

Battle of the Books

Here is a lovely little picture of my cute little NAWS (Nick, Ashley, Whitney, Stephanie) team. These little self-proclaimed nerds took us all the way to the regional competition in Roseburg. They placed 2nd at our district tournament and then 4th at the regional competition that had schools coming from all over southwestern Oregon. I am very proud.

This was one of the coolest things that I have been involved with. The state librarians association put this together. They chose 16 books for students to read. The students formed teams of four and then they had a few months to read all of the books. Then the battles were on. It was a sort of Jeopardy-like competition and it was so fun to see all of these kids reading the same books. At my school we had over 40 teams, that means 160 or so students were all reading these great books. They were all talking to each other about it and we organized book clubs that met after school with different teachers that all read some of the books. It has just been a great experience.

At our district competition they think that there were 1000 or so people crammed into our gym. They showed this video with some great music and pictures of the kids in the middle of their school competitions. After it was over, the crowd exploded into cheers and the excitement was contagious--and the best part was that it was all about books! I read 13 of the 16 books myself and loved nearly every one. So here is the list for all of you readers out there that are open to young adult literature. It is my own belief that some of the most creative writing is done for young adults, so pick one out and take a chance. You won't be disappointed.

*The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
*Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany by Eleanor Ramrath Garner
Cages by Peg Kehret
*Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury
Code Talkers by Joseph Brouchac
Among the Hidden by Margaret Petersen Haddix
Flush by Carl Hiassen
Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney
The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughren
*Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
*Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
*Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
*Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins

*My favorites

Gotta love the Constitution

For the past few weeks we have been studying the Constitution. It has been one of the best teaching experiences that I have had. For one of the culminating activities of the unit, I had the students create podcasts about the amendment that means the most to them. Check it out at my teaching website.

Perhaps it is the upcoming presidential election, but students are really getting into our discussions of our government. We are holding a mock primary election (one of the benefits of Oregon having such a late primary--it actually fits in) and the students have had quite a few good debates over some pretty serious issues. On Thursday of this week, Peter DeFazio is coming to visit with my students (he is our representative in the US House) and the kids can't wait to ask him some pretty great questions.

I know that I have previously stated my support for Barack Obama. I have tried to make sure that my students have no idea which candidate I prefer. But as I watch these young 13 and 14 year old students getting excited about participating in government, I can't help but give some of that credit to Obama. We have watched a few speeches from each of the candidates (through the beauty of YouTube) and have looked through their websites and you can see the excitement that has even extended to middle school students. Once again, I disagree with many of the policies that Obama supports; however, he is honestly inspiring previously disinterested generations to finally get involved in government. It is a beautiful thing!

My Boys

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how grateful I am for my little stinkyfaces. Perhaps it is because of my relentlessly busy schedule and maybe I am often thinking about them when I am away from home or it might just be that the mere thought of them motivates me to try to be a better person and to do my best as I try to provide for my little family.

If you have ever meet these boys, you know that they aren't quiet, shy little boys that constantly look and act adorable. I admit that I think that they are pretty good looking little guys, but they have already developed into very independent, stubborn little beings.

James might be one of the brightest little four year olds that I have ever met. But his most endearing quality is his undying love for his family. He has such trusting eyes and often makes me nervous when he looks at me like I can do no wrong. James is going through a superhero phase (one which I have definitely encouraged with my own love for superheroes). He wants so badly to have super powers and be able to run fast like the Flash, fly through the air like Superman, or turn things to ice like Iceman from the X-men. As he has learned to read, he will often sit down and read a book on his own or read to his little brother. He loves anything that has to do with dinosaurs, sharks, or underpants. James is honestly one of my best friends. I love to hang out with him, play superheroes, and find his excitement for life contagious.

Owen has such a great smile and he has definitely figured out how to use it to his advantage. When he is sitting on his chair after doing something particularly naughty, he often will just smile or laugh because he knows that it is hard to resist (he gets it from his mother--the contagious laugh, not the defiance--well maybe a little of both). He loves anything that James loves and will follow him around for hours if James will let him. However, Owen is very independent as well. He loves to be able to do something on his own, even if it takes MUCH longer than necessary. He loves to tell a good joke and still thinks it is pretty funny that his daddy lit himself on fire. Every day he welcomes me home with what is possible the greatest hug of all time. He knows just exactly how to wrap his little arms around you and stick his head right into your neck that makes all the worries of the world go away.

I just hope that they never get to a point where they don't want to hang out with me. I worry about the day when they realize that their dad is not a perfect person with secret super powers.

Valentine's Day Massacre

I hate Valentine's Day. I know that is such a harsh statement, but for the past five years I have had the opportunity to relive Valentine's Day from the eyes of one-hundred 8th graders. Do you remember what that was like? Somehow these kids convince their parents (most of which don't have enough money to provide their students with pencils and paper) to buy cheap stuffed teddy bears made in China holding red hearts that say something so ridiculous as "Love You Forever." Girls come with roses wrapped in cheap cellophane that their "boyfriend"s mother purchased from the man standing on the street corner. Of course none of these things fit in the student's locker and they either traipse around with them from class to class, proudly showing off the cheap jewelry that they have convinced themselves is a real diamond (but it is most definitely not) and whatever else they have received from their true love.

So yesterday, one of my students came into class with a large stuffed animal holding a rose. She asked me if I could put it back behind my desk for her during class because it was too big to fit in her locker. I replied, "Why don't you just throw it in the garbage? You are going to do that in two weeks anyway when you break up." My class all sighed and gave me dirty looks, while my student vowed that she would at least be with this boy for the next month because she really, really liked him. I marked it down on my calendar and we are planning to revisit this discussion on the 28th.

I know that this was a pretty harsh response and I should at least allow my students to live in this fantasy world while they are young. But I always see the other kids, the brilliant, quiet girl that sits in class and barely says a word, but is a fantastic writer and reads great books like To Kill a Mockingbird and Pride and Prejudice and understands them and loves them in a way far and above her 8th grade peers. She continues to sit quietly on Valentine's Day...she doesn't have any stuffed animals or cheap chocolates that come in a cheap, red, heart-shaped box with a picture of a frog on it. I just hope that she understands how great she is and doesn't worry about all of these ridiculous valentines.

Don't get me wrong. I am lucky enough to share the day with the woman of my dreams. I am glad to have a chance to express to her how much I love and care for her, how lucky I am to be her valentine. But seeing the emotions and craze of these 14 year old students, makes me so happy that I don't have to go through that again.

Craziness

Owie, James, and Daddy

Me and my school friends--Scott Olds (science), Cliff Schutte (math)
I just got a new laptop through a technology initiative that I am involved with at school. We decided to have a little fun with the camera. :)

Our Beloved Prophet

Last Sunday our beloved prophet died. I just read through my journal entry of the day that President Hinckley came to my mission in Paris, France. I remember how amazed I was as I sat in a small chapel in France with just 200 other missionaries, listening to our prophet and his wife speak. At that moment I knew more than ever before that this man was a prophet for our day, a man called of God. Later that evening when he spoke to a few thousand French members and he challenged the members to prepare themselves for a temple to be built in Paris, I again felt that overwhelming love for this incredible man.

I am selfishly saddened by his passing; but am so glad that he is finally able to be with his dear wife. I hope that I can always follow his example of kindness and hope.

Fire Hazard

A blurry pic of my blistered leg (it is upside down, sorry).


The damage done to my good Gap pants.

Well, this is kind of embarrassing, but something definitely worth sharing. Yesterday (1/24/08) I arrived at my classroom to find that the heat was not working. It was a frigid 50 degrees and after having a short meeting with some teachers before school, my friend, Scott Olds (the science teacher) offered to bring over a hot plate (which is really just a single stove top burner) from his room that I could put over by my desk to at least have some warmth in the room. I accepted and decided to place the plugged in hot plate underneath my desk, in an effort to hide it from the fire marshal that was visiting our school that morning. I continued through the morning, teaching my first block class (US History and English combined--comprising two class periods). My students and I were wearing our coats as I taught for those first two hours of the day. When the bell rang for them to leave class, I went back to my desk and sat down to take attendance. All of the sudden, I couldn't believe how hot it was down there in such a short time. It felt like I was sitting right next to a campfire and my leg hairs were being singed (burnt, not singing songs). I quickly looked down and saw that my left pant leg was on fire! One of my students had walked in to place her books on her desk and I said, "Ashley, help me, I'm on fire!" She nonchalantly walked over to her desk and sat her stuff down and then looked back at me and yelled, "You really are on fire!" I wasn't quite sure how to put out the fire and especially stop it from spreading up my leg. I tried blowing on it, slapping at it with my hand, and stomping on it with my other foot. I even thought, "Stop, drop, and roll." Then I thought, "That won't really help with this fire around my ankle." My next thought was to drop my pants and step on it, but this didn't seem like such a good choice with a young female student in the room. So I continued to swat it with my hands, finally deciding I would just have to smother it with my hands. This was finally successful; however, it left me with a few blisters on my fingers and other blisters on my leg, only one of which is pretty serious.

My next concern was that I was going to set off the sprinkler system in my room and the fire alarm throughout the school. I could imagine what the news report would say, "Teacher lights own pants on fire and ruins school." I was able to open the windows and push the smoke out, leaving pant ash as I ran to the window. My student, Ashley, left for her next class after we had a good laugh and she had put out a small paper fire over by my desk by stomping on it (she had just come in to drop off her books before heading to orchestra). Five minutes later, when I was walking downstairs to report the incident to my principal, I walked past another student of mine who said, "So, I heard you set yourself on fire Mr. Fuller." It's amazing how fast news travels in a middle school. The rest of the day was spent with colleagues and students laughing until tears flowed or sides hurt. One teacher came in with her medical gloves and first aid kit in hand. The ribbing continued throughout the next day, as teachers used the incident to cheer up a dreary, cold January day. I received a fire-themed gift every class period from other teachers. By the end of the day, my desk was covered in flames, fire candies, fire engines, fire dogs, and a specially-made fire safety manual just for me. This is an experience that will always stay with me; I am pretty sure that I won't be able to escape it. I can picture them teasing me at my future retirement party, 25 years from now, still reminiscing about the time that Fuller lit his own pants on fire.


Here is a picture of my desk at the end of the day on Friday.

Does anyone else feel like you are watching history in the making?

Throughout the past year, I have struggled with deciding between the myriad of candidates running for president. I have conflicting feelings. Growing up in Utah, I feel like I have been indoctrinated into thinking that the Republicans are right. Being a member of the LDS church, I feel like I should show my support for an LDS candidate that actually has a somewhat legitimate shot at being in the White House. Although I despise Mrs. Clinton, I do recognize this moment as one that might not happen again for a very long time--seeing a woman as the leader of our country (granted, this is not even remotely close enough of a motivator to vote for her). Throughout all of this, there has been one man that has inspired me. After reading his book, The Audacity of Hope, I fell for Obama's love for our country and for the way that his words motivate me to be a better American. After watching his win in Iowa and listening to his speech, I really felt that I was watching history being made.

I often have my students read primary sources in the 8th grade US History class that I teach. We read great speeches made by Abraham Lincoln, MLK Jr, JFK.....I felt like this speech could be up there. I can imagine that future generations might be studying the speeches from a Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama. Are these reminiscent of the Lincoln-Douglas debates? All I know is that I am grateful to have a candidate that inspires change in America's citizens. It is refreshing to hear someone so eloquently speak about our great country and the hope that he has for America. I don't agree with some of his policies (health care, merit pay for teachers....), but I can't help but get caught up in a renewed sense of hope about the greatness of this country.