"Oh No! Not Brown!"

I quoted Lisa Simpson there as an recap title for what I shared with you today...my college application and selection experience.  I am willing to be an open book - if you have ANY questions for me, i will not only answer them truthfully and bluntly, but I'll turn them around and ask you other follow-ups.  Long story short - I applied to 12 schools, got into 10, ended up at Brown, had a terrible academic start to my college career, got some help from the dean, found my true path, and succeeded...all the way back to Mpls...where I now teach and hopefully help others reach their dreams.  I left out the story about a student I had as a 9th grader during my 2nd year teaching.  He graduated and went to Brown as well...becoming the captain of the football team and graduated with a chemical engineering degree.  Ask me about it sometime.

I asked you to read the Declaration of Independence when you find the time.  It really is well-written and a powerful indictment.  A lot of history, I know, but you need to understand the people, places, themes, etc. in place when the Constitution emerged - something we still follow over 200 years later. You will also need to make a Forum entry on Moodle and prepare for the test next Weds, with another one on Ch.3 on Friday.  Wow - you are going to hate me.

Lastly - you get to quiz me on Friday since I have finally created my cheat sheets and should be able to have your names and faces matched up - even though you have all aged a full year, trying to pass yourselves off as more mature.  Appearances can be deceiving.  I'm 36 (37 in Dec), sometimes move like a 90ish geezer (had a tree fall on my back when I was 18 - REALLY feeling it now) yet always seem to act like a 12-year-old.  And remember, just 19 years ago, I was where you are now...laughing at all those interest inventories and suggestions of "you should be a teacher" blah blah blah.  What fools. I had it all figured out and was going to be an engineer.  Funny thing happened - my engineering plan was like the Articles of Confederation...my Constitution was more like teaching...a perfect fit that is ever-changing and evolving...just like all of you.