Believe it or not, mi gente, I do listen to the oddest of tracks. My latest iPod additions include:

• Robbie Williams, “Millenium”
• Journey, “Don’t Stop Believing”
• Feist, “1234”
• Timbaland feat. One Republic, “Apologize”
• John Lennon, “Happy XMas (War Is Over)”

The New York Knicks suck. And I’m in pain right now just watching their sadness. We get beat by one of the best teams in the league (Boston Celtics) and the worst (Philadelphia Sixers). Any educator can tell you it starts from the administration. Someone fire James Dolan and make his father Charles sell the team, too.

I went to a bar on Friday night and there was a pretty little waitress there. She had these great facial features, and the only thing I thought to myself was “Yo, aren’t you my MySpace friend?” Social networks: another way to get great service at a bar.

We’re having a Secret Santa event at work, and while I’m a fan of what I received the first time we had a present exchange, I wanted to remove all doubt from whoever would get me something by telling the coordinator they could look me up on Amazon and pull up my wish list. I love it.

Last Friday, some of my children got disrespectful with me, and honestly, if I wasn’t a more reflective teacher, I’d probably consider taking the day off tomorrow, too. Even though the day itself wasn’t terrible, it didn’t end well. My only solace is that, as someone who constantly reflects on his actions, I can pinpoint where things started, and if not, at the very least, find a good solution to come in to class with. More on this tomorrow.

750am
I think of ways to change my energy
Match it to the level I want my pupils to feel
Anticipation of bad moods
Negative backstories
Improper namecalling
Anxiety over homework misunderstanding
Missed opportunities
Unplanned lesson plan
Fervor for a brand new day
Beautifully painted pictures
Correct and thorough answers
755am
Patters of sneakers and shoes hit the stairwell
Clean board
Buttoned-up collar
Rested mind
Chalk and attendance sheet in hand
Practices of my salutations
In between my classroom and the hallway
800am
Good morning
Come all my faithful
I await you with open mind and open-ended question
Amen …

jose, who needs a soul clap right now …