The Final Harry Potter
I, like many other fans, pins and needles for this book to arrive, yet at the same time lamented the fact this will be the last time I will read a new Harry Potter book. I am happy to say J.K. Rowling did not disappoint us, her avid readers.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling, was one of the most highly anticipated books. I read whie seated on the edge of my seat while Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to finally end the reign of You-Know-Who. Their search for the horcruxes takes them on a lengthy adventure while the characters themselves are faced with not only external excitement, but also individual realizations.
The climax of the story, which takes place at Hogwarts, is one of the best I have ever read (granted I'm biased). Every character that we have come to know and love bands together to put an end to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. While a few of the characters perish, one bright stand-out hero finally lays to rest any doubts we may have had.
Be warned, however, Mrs. Weasly does utter a profane statement, but rightfully so. If one of my own children were in danger as hers was, I'd be screaming profanities as well.
I loved this book, I loved the series. Thank you J.K. Rowling for bringing back the fun in reading; for giving us a make-believe world we all can relate to; for dreaming up Harry Potter; for writing about friends that are as true as those in the books; and for ending the series when it was time to end it.
Labels: adolescent reading, Books, Harry Potter
A new beginning
We teachers always tend to look at the beginning of each school year as a starting over point. We will have a new group of students and frequently we will have a new outlook on discipline, classroom management, bulletin boards, and lesson plans. There's a possibility that many teachers stick with the profession because it's like a new job every new school year.
This year, for me, is really going to be new. I've finally made the decision to leave the middle school I have been working at for the past five years. I got to the point I was no longer ok with the principal, largely because she, once again, placed me in a position I had no interest in. What frusterated me more this year than previous years was the simple fact that the position I had been wanting had finally opened and she denied me that job. Aside from the teaching position problems, there were so many other administration issues that I was never happy with. The school I worked at is considered to be one of the worst in our district. Our students came from the poorest neighborhoods, had some severe gang-related problems, and 98% of them spoke Spanish as their first language. We had behavior problems that would make some teachers crumble with fear within the first 10 minutes, yet sadly the principal allowed our biggest gang-affiliated students to remain on campus. She cow-towed to every parent that complained, despite the parents being completely out-of-whack. There was no admin support for teachers that were having trouble with a student and/or a parent. PLUS she took any criticism of her job personally, and frequently retaliated (hence the reason I have been teaching an unwanted subject).
And she was known for her relationships within the school staff that were highly inappropriate. Unprofessional? Absolutely. Disgusting? Even more so. Essentially the principal at that school is a two-faced, lying, slutty, conniving bitch. And i'm glad to be out.
With that sad, the new school is the exact opposite, demographically, of the school I had been at. This new middle school is also the largest in the school district, has the highest test scores, and has one of the highest teacher-retention rates in our district. I'll be teaching a subject I've wanted to teach (social studies) since I started my career, and I am familiar with many of the staff members. I'm very excited to be taking this position.
Bullying
I found this article on "The Sun"'s Website:
Driven to death - by bullies
By DAVID LOWE
May 25, 2007
COMMENT ON THIS STORY
TODAY is The Big Stand – a national event against bullying.
Celebrities including Chantelle, Beth Ditto and Jo Whiley will join thousands around the country in a bid to give bullying the boot.
One man determined to show his support is Paul Vodden.
Tragically Paul knows the devastating consequences of bullying firsthand.
His beloved 11-year-old son Ben killed himself after being tormented at school by fellow pupils - and an irresponsible bus driver.
The last time Paul Vodden heard from Ben was a text saying ‘They’re doing it again.’
Since his first week at secondary school 11-year-old Ben had suffered bullying – and to Paul’s disappointment it showed no sign of stopping.
When Paul, 57, returned home to Southwater, West Sussex, that night last December his wife Caroline, 47, explained Ben was shut in his room.
The concerned dad went in for a chat – but was horrified to discover Ben hanging from his bunk-bed by his shoelaces.
Paul says: “Unless you’ve ever found your child dead there’s no way you’d understand what it’s like.
“I was deeply shocked but started doing CPR and held him in my arms.
"Something just takes over and you go through the motions of getting an ambulance and so on.
The perfect son ... Ben relaxing
“He was pronounced dead at Worthing Hospital.
“That’s when the floodgates opened and all the emotion came pouring out.”
Paul, a forestry worker, has no doubt Ben would be alive if he hadn’t been bullied.
He says: “Ben was an intelligent, loving, sensitive and fun-loving young chap. He was everything you would want in a son, and now he’s gone.
“He’d be alive if the bullying hadn’t happened.
“That was clear from the outset.”
Ben’s torment began when a gang of boys nicked his tie just a day after he started Tanbridge House School, Horsham.
In the months that followed Ben endured taunts like w***er, dickhead and Billy No Mates from fellow pupils - and even the bus driver Brian McCullogh.
Although Paul complained to the school, C and L Coaches in Lancing and West Sussex County Council, no action appeared to be taken.
Paul says: “What happened was a complete systematic failure.
“I complained about the tie incident in September.
“When Ben admitted the bus driver was teasing him I kicked up about that too.
“A few times I offered to drive Ben to school myself. He accepted on a couple of occasions.
“But he was always keen to try and sort out the problem himself.
“I discovered a week before Ben died on 12 December that he was still on the same bus and facing the same driver months later.
“If anything was done to stop the bullying it wasn’t enough and it was too late to save Ben.”
I see hundreds and hundreds of children being bullied every day and frequently have no idea how to stop it or even to intervene. I talk to the students, recemmond them for mediation, call parents, but it all seems to be a hopeless cause. Frequently the students are bullies because that's what their parents have taught them. So how to we get the bullying to stop?
