(click on image to register to vote)

the economic world, our world, is in utter turmoil. just the other day i was thinking of buying a condo, now i'm wondering if i'll even find a lender (who'll still BE around). now, more than ever it's imperative that we--young people, black people, white, old, women, men, whatever--rise up and make sure our voices are heard at the polls. no matter what your party alliances, this election is far too important than to just sit back and HOPE your guy wins.

if you haven't already, please register to vote. if you have, PLEASE make sure you show up on Nov. 4th!

they really did it! i've FINALLY been polled.

i'm always skeptical when i read/hear about poll results, because i, nor anyone else i know, have ever been a part of an election poll. so how accurate could they possibly be?

tonight i got an automated call from KABC news asking me where i stood on the upcoming elections. of course they asked the main question, who am i choosing for president (no brainer), but then the poll continued to ask about where i stood on enclosures for farm animals (huh?), abortion for minors (hmmm), and the gay marriage amendment (see: California's Propositions). after hearing the list of questions, i realized that i really don't know how i'm voting in November.

sure the presidential elections are of the UTMOST importance, but we can't/shouldn't overlook the importance of our local elections. ever since i turned 18, i have voted...and guessed at the lower enclosed elections. seemingly minor ballot initiatives pop up on every election and then find a way to become MAJOR issues. i'm always at a loss when asked to choose a DA or a Judge or a farm enclosure.

over the past 8 years, the importance of each initiative has become completely apparently, and this year, i will go to the polls informed on ALL of the issues, not just the ones you hear about on TV.

what is the oddest ballot initiatives in your state?

i am in love! i've always had an issue with my hair. it's super thick & au natural, which means that it's also super dry. it seems like no matter what i have tried, nothing really worked. i've spent tons of money & have tons of product left over and my hair & scalp is STILL dry as the sahara.

a while ago, while peepin natural hair YouTube vids, i ran across someone talking about Qhemet Biologics products. i went to their site & made a mental note that i wanted to try it. a few weeks ago i order the Amla & Olive Heavy Cream and got it on Friday. Yesterday I braided up my hair and this morning i took it down and i am AMAZED. my hair is sooooooooo soft (i know i sound like a commercial, but you know black women and our hair!). i'm loving this stuff. i am looking forward to how my hair continues to react to the intense moisture. so far, i'm impressed.

moving on...i'm going to my soror's (my dean!) wedding tonight. i am so excited for her. on Friday we all went out and i had SUCH a good time. i'm not a club person, but it's amazing how loose you get after a few Vodka Gimlets! lol. we danced till we were hot, sweaty, tired, and hungry. it was a great night. it's funny, 7 years ago when i joined my sorority, it was hard to fathom that i'd actually have life-long friends. i know that is the pitch we tell perspective members, but the friendships i have built have been some of THE most important in my life. and i'm am so thankful for that. tonight i will wish my friend, my soror, all the love and happiness her heart can hold...and then some.

In the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more important than how much we educate them
--Thomas Friedman, The World Is Flat

this is my third school year at the front of the class & you'd think the transition from lazy summer days to the hectic, unpredictable pace of a middle school classroom would be second nature by now, but it's not. each year i've been unbelievably tired and drained each day i get home. each day i feel as though there is something i missed, something else i wanted to say, something i REALLY wanted them to know, but just forgot to touch upon. the pace and the task of educating our kids is an arduous task.

in our department meeting today we looked at our test scores from last year. our API shot up 48 points. we made gains in every subgroup, and our kids are improving, but we STILL have so far to go. we are not in the 700 club. we still have far too many students deemed "far below basic." and we still need to find a way to motivate our kids to do the work.

once again, i am teaching an intervention class. of the 10 kids in the class, 5 have IEPs and have some type of learning/emotional disability. through our conversations i learned at least 2 of the 10 have lost their mothers, and 1 has lost both parents. yet another has a mother is 32 (i teach 7th grade) and has five daughters. my students' home lives are certainly not ideal, but none of that really matters to me. when they step into my room they are a blank slate i am looking to fill...but it's so damn hard.

i say all of this to explain why i've been absent. i've been dealing with LIFE, ya know? i ache to write more, but sleep seems like a better option. i have been following the political scene and would love to talk to you about it, but damn if it isn't easier to just relax after work instead of coming on here. but here i am. and i will continue to come here & write because i need this. my life cannot be consumed by 7th graders (or almost 3-year olds!). i need our interactions, and your thoughts, and your opinions. i miss that. & i miss y'all.

peace

remember rapper Ahmad and his infectious hit, "Back In the Day" (..when i was young i'm not a kid anymore, but somedays, i sit & wish i was a kid again...)? well, this rapper turned Scholar is all grown up, and headed for Standford on a full scholarship (read the article).

i love stories like his. although he was a star athlete & honors student, he pursued his passion, made an album, and still saw the importance of education. in a time in which a lot of young, Black men are getting caught up in the hype and illusion of mainstream hip hop, this man actually makes school look cool again.

tomorrow, i am entering my 3rd year as middle school teacher. each of these years i've gone into my classroom filled with butterflies, ideas, and nervous energy. each year i've come to my room hopeful that this year i will get it right. this year, i will have my "Lean on Me"/"Dangerous Minds" moment when everything i say will click in the minds of my kids and they will be able to see the genius that dwells inside. i sound idealistic, i know, but you cannot be cynical and be a great educator. you cannot doubt the capacity of your students' ability to learn, grow, and thrive and still be an effective teacher.

"A child cannot be taught by anyone who despises him, and a child cannot afford to be fooled." ~James Baldwin

so i am hopeful. on the eve of another school year, this year will be the breakthrough. this year will be the beginning (or confirmation) of their love of learning. this will be the year that each and every child's life will be changed for the better and they will, for once in their life, have options.