Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins

This was my "Poem of the Week" for the first week of school. I thought I would share it with ya'll as well. "I ask them to take a poem and hold it up to the light like a color slide or press an ear against its hive. I say drop a mouse into a poem and watch him probe his way out, or walk inside the poem's room and feel the walls for a light switch. I want them to waterski across the surface of a poem waving at the author's name on the shore. But all they want to do is tie the poem to a chair with rope and torture a confession out of it. They begin beating it with a hose to find out what it really means."

Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry

I am an avid fan of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry's fantastic series Jeeves and Wooster. If you haven't watched it yet, head to your local library and borrow a season or two today! My dad, youngest brother Zeke, and I watched almost the entire series this summer, laughing uproariously at Wooster's bizarre antics and rewatching some episodes several times. I plan on showing episodes to my senior English classes when we start discussing modern literature or when we study films derived from literature. (I think I have read all of the Jeeves and Wooster short stories [and many of his other stories] by P.G. Wodehouse and think them hilarious and well worth your reading.) Anyway, today while reading my new favorite blog, I learned that both Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie have written novels! I can't wait to read them! Hugh Laurie's first novel, Gun Seller, was published in 1997, and his second novel, The Paper Soldier , is due out in September 2007. Stephen Fry has written several books, many of which appeal to me: The Liar (1992), The Hippopotamus (1994), Moab is My Washpot (autobiography, 1997), Revenge: A Novel (rewrite of Count of Monte Cristo, 2000), and Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Within (2007) So, if you want to buy me a Christmas present . . . just don't get Gun Seller, which I ordered today!

Magnetic poetry

I love magnetic poetry. I have a couple sets up in my classroom and I love to see my students turn around and add a few words to the poems they've been working on (even if they are supposed to be paying attention to the lecture or activity). Here are a couple poems I wrote.

This poem makes me sound like I was depressed, but I was just being dramatic.


I have started the South Beach diet since writing this poem. I do miss chocolate! But I didn't want it to be the death of me.

The start of a new school year

We're into the third week of school already! I can hardly believe that summer is over and we're now into the routine of classes, prep work, very little sleep, and too short weekends. But all complaining aside, I love teaching and I did get a little bored this summer without a good routine. (Now I feel almost "routined" to death--Wait! I'm not supposed to be complaining.) Here are some pictures of my classroom the night of Parent Orientation. I'm very happy with the way things turned out. . . If only I could keep my room this clean all the time!

My fabulous bulletin board:

A couple of views of my classroom:



All the books I handed out the first couple of days of school. Looks intimidating, huh? I felt nervous just looking at all the books I have to teach in the next few months, and I'm sure my students felt a little daunted by the task as well. I can still remember the look of amazement--and slight panic--one of my seniors, who is also in my literature elective, gave me when I handed him the stack of books for literature after giving him a sizable stack for Senior English a few hours earlier.


The faculty and staff of Harvest Ministries:

My summer

I had a wonderful summer in the States. I flew home on May 24th, just in time to get ready for my brother's wedding on the 26th. I was forced to stay awake and got over jet lag fairly quickly because we were so busy those first few days I was home. Ben and Becca's wedding was beautiful!




Just a few weeks after Ben and Becca's wedding, we traveled down to South Carolina for Nate and Jessica's wedding on June 23rd. It was also a very special wedding!





For much of the summer I was at home reading for fun and in preparation for school, taking walks/runs through the hills of VT, and spending time with family and friends. At the beginning of the summer, I went to a choral festival with my friends Natasha and Dawn. Here are a few pictures from the Trapp Family Lodge where the festival was held.




I also taught the preschool class during Neighborhood Bible Time.


And here are a couple of pictures of the view from Trinity.
I live near the base of Camel's Hump:


Mount Mansfield:


Then, at the beginning of July, I went back down to Greenville to visit my friends Dave and Desiree Talbert, who were home from China, and to see my brother Nate and my new sister-in-law Jessica.

We got these amazingly huge ice cream cones from Bruster's. It was raining, so we got a free scoop, and Nate had buy one get one free coupons, and he paid with a gift certificate! A great deal for some great ice cream.


While I was visiting down south, I had the great pleasure of attending Medieval Times in Georgia. It was a thrilling experience. We all had a great time cheering on the Red Knight!

Harvest Baptist Bible Institute Graduation 2007

During the Sunday evening service on May 19th, Harvest held the HBBI graduation. This year my campus "daughter" Sinser graduated. I'm going to miss her!

Me and Sinser

Our campus family included Sinser, Youleen (not pictured), the Borchardts (Jessica, Jeff, and Jeffrey III), and me.

Another HBBI friend of mine is leaving this year, too. Betty Obed was an HBBI GA last year and she is going to be heading to International Baptist College in the fall. She is such a sweet, godly young lady. I'm going to miss chatting with her in the cafeteria when I go get water during my prep hour and seeing her at church and around campus.

HCA Graduation 2007

School is finally done! I can hardly believe that I am finished my second year of teaching!

After turning in my last grades on Wednesday morning, I spent Thursday and Friday helping with graduation prep (checking grades, folding programs, etc.)and trying to start neatening up my classroom. HCA graduation was Friday night (pictures posted below) and HBBI graduation was on Sunday (see next post--whenever I get to it!). On Monday and Tuesday we had projects to do around campus and we were able to finish getting our classrooms ready for the summer and next school year. I rearranged my classroom so my desk is in a better spot and I have started to organize my files. On Wednesday we had our final staff meeting (I was given the "Kangaroo Award" for always bounding forward for success--especially with the yearbook staff) and then we were dismissed for the year! Anyway, you probably don't care about the minutiae of my life, so I'll just go ahead and post some pictures of graduation.

Senior group picture before heading up the stairs to the auditorium.

Some of the excited graduates before the ceremony started.

Johnny getting laden down with leis from his friends and family. After the graduates receive their diplomas, they go down to give their mom a rose and then their family and friends put flower, candy, and even money leis around their necks. Some of the students even carry balloons and bouquets of flowers back to the stage. After the students exit the building, they're given more leis and gifts during the picture taking time.

Erik displaying his diploma before going back on stage to move his tassel and officially graduate.

Gizela Ho after receiving her diploma and greeting her family.

Brothers Keith and Sean Yanase graduated together this year. I was privileged to have them as students for both their junior and senior years.

After graduation I took pictures with several of my students and of faculty and friends with the graduates. (I was actually one of the official photographers for the night, which is how I got pictures of my students during the ceremony. Otherwise, I would have been up in the choir loft watching the procedings.)
Charles Wan and me

Chong Fang and Mr. Jared Skeens

High school principal Mr. Doug Abels, his wife Karen Abels, and Alexis Gonzales (one of my honors English students and the best copy editor a yearbook adviser could ask for)

Edward Kim and me

Janet Lee and me

Lead principal Mr. John McGrew with Quilla Espinoza

Yearbook editor Joanna Lanuza with Kallen Perez, the People section editor. I am proud of both of them for their hard work and dedication to the project. They did an excellent job and far exceeded my expectations!

Kai Ying Zhang, me, and Angel Li (unfortunately a branch got in the way and I haven't had time to photoshop it out)

Me with Leif Andres and Tae Hwa Lee. Both of these guys were on yearbook staff for two years. I'll miss having them in class and on staff next year!


Me and Victoria Paulino (Sadly, Victoria moved to Arizona shortly after graduation.)

Linda Wu, Regina Fong, Beili Li, and Edward Kim

Some of the senior guys tackle each other in a group hug celebrating the end of their high school careers.

Angela Lim and Jenifer Song

Jodi Harrison and I coordinated, so we had to get a picture. This was the second time that we ended up wearing these matching outfits!