tysomeones

Happy Mother’s Day! Today I decided to interview my grandmother, the matriarch of my family. She is wonderful. She can tell you about what Obama was doing in Washington an hour ago and then in the same breath tell you why Lady Gaga is crazy. She reads, parties, shops, you name it. She does it all and knows it all. Here is our Sunday morning conversation…

Name: Victoria Beck

Hometown: Osyka,Mississippi

Age: 95

College: Tougaloo College

Granny is it okay if I ask you some questions for my blog? I don’t understand you. Let me turn my t.v. down (pause) Okay. Your what? My blog. You know my blog! Oh,Yes! Debra printed it and brought it over. The blog with you and Ian? Well Ian isn’t on it. Is Hannah on it? No, but a lot of my friends are-Yes, I read it. It’s very cute. I enjoyed it. Okay, well I’m going to ask you some questions. Like what?

Describe your life in three words: You know your phone is going in and out? Say what now? Say what? Describe your life in three words. Long lived and comfortable. I’ve lived a long life. It’s been very fun. I’ve done so much. Wait, that’s more than three words huh? Okay how about long-lived and comfortable. Perfect.

First thought when you wake up: Prayer. I pray every morning.

What’s it like being 95 granny? Huh? What’s it like being 95?  Happy. I’m thankful I’ve lived this long and can still get around.

One thing you miss about being young: Huh? Granny! One thing you miss about being young. That’s not me, that’s your phone. Well, I didn’t learn to drive. I’m too old to learn now because everyone is not safe out there.

One thing you love about being old: I wake up and I’m satisfied. I’m still alive and young people love to be in your company. Lord I have so many friends, Robin. Nobody my age anymore just… young friends who come by and pick me up. I don’t really need to drive because everyone just comes over.

Fill in the blank. All mothers should be: proud of their children.

What was your mother like? Very stern. Ummm. She lived a long life also. And never worked. My daddy took care of all of us. She stayed at home. Daddy made seven dollars a week. And we made it on that. A dollar a day.

One thing you wanted all your kids to know? That I loved them. Who is this? Someone keeps clicking in. Probably your mom. She called me today and then hung up. This is probably her now.

Last week was teacher appreciation week. What do your students say about you? They all enjoyed my class and they still come around. That’s who I eat crabs with on Friday. Irlene, Kay, Mitchell, Teddy Rae, Peter, Paul, -they were all in school when they weren’t trying to dodge science. If they asked what time it was I’d say, “time will pass. Will you?”

Who was your favorite president? Kennedy. He was young,  bold, learned, and concerned about all people. I liked him very much.

What do you think about Obama endorsing Gay marriage? I think that’s an issue that should be left to individuals. What he thinks shouldn’t change your opinion. I really think Biden came out with that first and Obama followed behind him. I think individuals should decide that. Don’t you think so? Now who is this clicking in? Who’s calling me?

Anything you want to tell young people today? Get an education. Learn a trade. Keep up with the world. And vote. Always vote.

Who is a really good person? How do you know? Everyone has some good about them. I hope you know that. What may be your bad can be their good. Good and bad are easily transferable.

But the people who fixed your house after Katrina? Ooh God! Samaritan’s purse. Billy Graham’s people. They came in and got me in my house. Fixed my walls. Put up cabinets. They came from Wisconsin, Indiana, Arkansas… They still send me corn meal-the ones from Wisconsin. They bring me bags of cornmeal and grits when they visit. I hear from all of them and they come back in the summer. The ones from Wisconsin take me to dinner. Two came back not long ago and they thought it looked so beautiful.  I said, “I guess so because when you left I didn’t have my porch.” (chuckles) They were so glad. Oooh yes. They painted everything. Then there was the preacher and his wife. The group left and they stayed.  We talk every Christmas. Mmmhhmmm.  So they were obviously really good people. They were great.

People would be surprised to know you: I am very concerned and I don’t always go along with the crowd.

Oh, and what are you doing today? Going to Ocean Springs to eat. Your aunt is taking me. I have to be ready at 11:30 and I still have a lot to do. I got so many beautiful flowers. It looks like the florist.

That was a good interview! Where will you put this Robin? On the internet. Lord have mercy. Now, let me call your mother back. She never did come back.

Hometown:Washington,DC

College: Boston University

Age: 23 (35 according to my students)

Occupation: Intellect Acquisition Facilitator (Because “teacher” doesn’t do the job justice)

1. Describe your job in three words: Find a way…

2. What was it like growing up with your first and last name being the same?  I get this question a lot but I think it made life a lot simpler. I learned to write my full name much faster than the other kids, I always have a memorable first encounter with people as I clarify that it is actually my real name (sometime I need to pull out ID), and I can bubble in scantrons really fast when I take standardized tests. Although, there is the awkward moment when i introduce myself and people think I am saying “I’m Ed” and proceed to call me Ed.

3. Greatest accomplishment from college? Honestly…. graduating. I know it seems silly, but considering the harsh realities for Black men in America the fact that I was fortunate enough to make it through college with a degree is a life accomplishment I refuse to take lightly.

4. You got into Johns Hopkins. What made you choose Teach for America? I arrived on the campus of Boston University vastly under-prepared. My education did not equip me to be even remotely competitive with the students that sat around me. Quite frankly, this reality enraged me to no end. It was far from fair that I had to work twice as hard to make half the grade day in and day out. This was my first encounter with the “achievement-gap” and my spite for its existence refused to allow me to succumb to it. This started my exposure to working with schools in Boston and my realization of the joy working with kids brought me.  When I left home for college, I was dead set on becoming a doctor and mainly out of pride, arrogance, and stubbornness I proceeded with my planned degree without taking the time to evaluate how my growth throughout my collegiate career would affect where I saw myself career wise. I found myself as a senior going through the motions of medical school when I had long ago determined that my heart wasn’t in it. After that moment, the decision to do Teach For America was a no brainer.

 5. What is the hardest part of your job? The realization that my opportunity to fundamentally change the life trajectory of my students has an expiration date. I deal in the lives and futures of children on a daily basis and nothing is more frustrating than struggling to reach a child that you see going wayward only to realize that there is a time limit on your opportunity to correct their path. Regardless of everything I do in the classroom, at some point my students will leave my class and fall victim to the uncertainty of their future. The hardest part of being a teacher is the looming question of, “what if I haven’t done enough?”

6. What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is that moment when the most struggling of your struggling students finally understands how to solve that problem they wanted to quit on long ago. There is a moment when they just… get it. It is in that moment that your pride in them is only matched with the pride they have in themselves. That moment is where mindsets are shifted, mentalities are changed, and empowerment is born.

7. Who is your role model? Why? Vivien Thomas. Most people do not know who he is but he was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. He basically had no education past high school, faced poverty and racism, and became a pioneer of cardiac and a teacher of operative techniques to many of the country’s most prominent surgeons. He worked with a White surgeon for years developing these techniques and never received any recognition for them. His story reminds me to not do things for the recognition or accolades but rather to stay true to real purpose.

8. How are we going to fix education? We are going to fix it right? Absolutely we will fix it. It will take quality teachers and a system that holds EVERYONE that has a stake in educating our youth accountable for the success of our students. I think we always choose a party to blame whether it’s the teachers, students, school system, or government, as opposed to holding us all accountable for the individual roles we play. Beyond that, as a people and a nation we need to prioritize education in this country. Such a prioritization is seen in the allocation of time, resources, and oversight to make sure the job gets done.

9. Three things everyone should know about being a teacher. 1) 9-5 is a dream. If you aren’t putting in at least 12-14 hours a day you aren’t doing it right. 2) Don’t call us after 11pm. 3) As much as you may try, it is impossible to leave work baggage at work. These kids and your experiences follow you into your dreams.

10. In ten years you will be… finding a new way to save our future generations…

Hometown: Rockledge,Florida

College: Florida State University

Age: 23 (24 tomorrow-Happy early birthday!)

Occupation: Math 1 Teacher at South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice

1. Describe your job in three words: Crazy, diverse, rewarding

2. What was your first day of teaching like? Wow…all I remember is hearing the kids walking up to the classroom and starting to panic. I remember thinking…what the hell am I doing? What am I even going to say to these kids? Why did I think this was a good idea?

 3. I know some of your students called you Barbie before. What role do you think your race has played in your teaching experience?  I think it played a huge role. Not only have barely any of the students I teach had a white teacher before, many also had negative feelings about white people in general (sometimes rightfully so). I think it was interesting for them to have a white person care about them since they come from communities of entirely African Americans. Some of my students have told me they don’t even consider me white…because I don’t “act white”. This always makes me laugh because at the end of the day, my biggest prayer is that I give them a positive impression of the white race and that there is a life outside of South Atlanta with MANY people who accept and embrace diversity.

 4. You’re 23. Not that much older than your students. On the same note, what role do you think your age has played in your teaching experience? Well I lie to them about my age because I really am SO CLOSE to their age. Many of my students are 16-17, which makes me only 6 years older than them, so it’s easier for them to just think I’m a little older. They’ll take any excuse to not respect you. Pretty much all of my students think I’m 29…and I think I look pretty darn good for 29 : )

5. This broke your heart: I have a 9^th grade student who had her 2^nd baby in the middle of the year. Meeting her mother and multiple siblings has really made me realize how much her environment has hindered her from being successful. I also had a moment when I tested all of my students and found that they average around a third grade level…in the 9^th grade. I had to turn the lights off and just sit for a minute.  When you start to grow attached to your students, it is really hard to swallow that a very capable 9^th grader is operating at a third grade level.

 6.  This gave you hope: Over 50% of my students passed their EOCT at the end of the year. These students come to tutorial three days a week, all day Saturday, and they use every last minute of their class time. They are determined to move forward and it makes it much easier for me to guide them in that direction.

 7. One thing you’ve learned from teaching? Patience! I learned I have none and certainly learned I need more. I also learned what hard work really looks like. There is not a job I will be given that I won’t be able to figure out.

 8.  What do you hope your students say about you? That I care about them as individuals, not as a student in my math class. I want them to see value in themselves and have confidence in who they can become. Math means nothing…test scores mean nothing…they do as people.

 9.  Who was your favorite teacher growing up and why? I had a teacher in 6^th grade named Mrs. Keller. I remember her making everything into songs and games (songs I still sing). She was my first teacher who made learning fun and exciting. She also was the first teacher who talked a lot about how important it was to be a good person and make good decisions.

 10. In ten years you will be… well, this is a hopefully. I trust I will be exactly where I am supposed to be. I will hopefully be a mom, a wife, and have a successful finance job. I want to work to play…life is so much better that way!

Robin Beck in 1st grade

Robin Beck teaching 1st grade

May is full of fun things. Graduations, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and…..drumroll please….. Teacher Appreciation Week!!!!  I hope this week you take the time to thank a teacher in your life. I never thought I would be a teacher, but it has been an amazing experience.  When I tell people I teach I think it is an open invitation for them to tell me about their favorite teacher. My mom was talking Saturday about her first grade teacher Ms. Norweda Wood. She played the organ at church and my mom said she taught the class how to speak properly. “Hold your head up high. Speak up!” she demanded. My mom remembered her class like it was yesterday. Well, if there was ever a time to reminisce it is this week. I appreciate all of my teachers because they taught me so many different things. Ms. Turner taught me how to read, Ms.Black taught me that learning could be fun, Ms. Hewett introduced me to the world of writing, Mr. Alvord made science so interesting, and the list goes on.  I appreciate teachers more now that I am one, but even if you’re not you should be grateful for one.  After all, if you can read this post then you should thank a teacher.  Ian wrote me this letter today. He tore it out of his composition notebook and said here you go. Here it is:

the Story of Ms. Beck by Ian

Once a pona time. there was a Female named Ms. Beck.  She growed up to become a teacher. She met freinds like Ms. Abdullahi, Mrs. Devane Ms. Wiggins Ms. Reed Ms. Collins Ms. Long and justin. then in first grade when She was a teacher. She met this little boy name Ian. he loved her so much. he even called her cute. sweet. beatiful. One day Ian hugged her she hugged him She almost cried joyful tears. Ian said she was sweet cute Beatiful everyday She laughed so much when Ian told Coleman to put his head up and then Esther did it. Ms Beck smelled so good that the hold class followed the good Smell. Ms. Beck got ever bodys attention by smilin so beatiful that every body would do anything for her She was the prom Queen for the rest of her life She was popular She met barack Obama and and Michelle obama. She was the best teacher of all that her hold class loved her for the rest of there lives. She was the most popular Female of Main Street Academy. the end

Well, he was wrong about some things. I was not the prom queen and I have never seen Michelle Obama (maybe he will speak this into existence).I do, however, hope he was right about the “hold class” loving me the rest of their lives because I know I will love them for the rest of mine.

Today when I was on Gchat my friend Jovan said, “It’s Monday. No post today? I was looking forward to it.” It sorta kinda made my day. I told him I would write something when I got home. So here I am. If no one else reads then, Jovan, this one is for you. Today I am going to tell you tysomeones how to deliver a grade A apology. The inspiration? Today a boy I shall call Mike hit a girl I shall call Simone with a football. Simone started crying and Mike went over. C’mon Mike, do the right thing. Let Miss Beck overhear you give a quality apology just like I taught ya! Mike ran over oh great he’s reacting quickly and loud as day oh good he doesn’t care who hears said, “Maaan (sucks teeth) that wasn’t even my fault! You ran right in front of the ball!” Bummer. I had a long conversation with Mike. First of all, you hit a girl. Shame on you. Second of all, it was a bad throw. Your ball ran into her not vice versa. But most importantly, I am tired of people (of all ages) and their weak apologies. Now I know a weak apology when I see one because I have both given and received one. I am going to give you five common scenarios and I will tell you what you maybe should say. I say maybe because I am not the master of apologies, but just read…

 Scenario 1: You forget to text someone back 

They are really passive aggressive and/or sarcastic about it and send you texts like, “thanks for responding.” Well unless the person on the other end completely sucks then you should feel bad. We all check our phones all the time so you saw the text. Don’t say you didn’t get it because that’d be lying (unless you have Metro PCS in which case that might have happened). Instead you should say, “OMG, so sorry for responding this late! I was very busy. Forgive me?” They should respond and say “NBD. I get it”. If they don’t respond then they are doing exactly what you did which would make them a hypocrite. They have no choice, but to say “NBD” and it’s over. However, don’t make a habit out of not responding especially if they’re a good friend. (This does not apply to texts sent after 2 a.m. -responding to these texts is up to your discretion).

 Scenario 2: You forget to wish a friend happy birthday

First of all, what a rookie mistake. You don’t need an address book anymore. Just check Facebook. However, I know this happens so this is what you should do. Step 1: Pick up the phone. Step 2: Say you are so sorry for missing their special day and ask if you can hang out soon. Step 3: Follow through. If you don’t do step 3 then forget steps 1 and 2.

Note: This scenario only works for acquaintances. If you’re not that close then a “happy belated!!!” tweet will suffice. If you are very close then make step 3 step 4 and then step 3 should be: get in car, drive to the nearest mall and pick out a bottle of perfume or cologne. I mean it’s the least you could do for forgetting a very close friend’s day of birth. Do better. 

 Scenario 3: You’re running late to…anywhere

We’ve all been late to something or another. My advice? Call the person who’s waiting and give them an accurate time for when you may arrive. If it will be a while then consider rescheduling. If you’re down the street then say that. Like most apologies, just be honest and don’t make a habit out of it. If you’re chronically late then I suggest changing your clocks, realizing that you are terrible at multi-tasking, or setting a really annoying ringtone. Let’s face it- that Adele alarm is not making you move with a sense of urgency.

 Scenario 4: You put your foot in your mouth 

I had a friend who once said, “Anyone who’s not an organ donor is stupid.” Well, it just so turns out that our other friend in the conversation was not an organ donor. I know it’s awkward, but you should really try to muster up some sort of apology. Sometimes we get comfortable around friends and think that we don’t need to apologize. Wrong! We totally do. Sometimes it helps to explain what you really meant. For example, “I really should not have said stupid. I really just think the benefits of being an organ donor outweigh the costs. I know it’s a personal choice though.” Hopefully, they’ll understand. Next time know your audience and speak slower. Ann Landers once said, “The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven’t thought of yet.”

 Scenario 5: You cheat on your girlfriend/boyfriend

Hey, didn’t I say I wasn’t the master of apologies? You’re on your own here. Ideas range from flowers to fleeing the country. But whatever you do… do NOT send a text. Odds are they won’t be responding with “NBD”.

Oh, and when I said “Jovan, this one is for you” that was not in any way subliminal. As far as I know you are good at giving apologies. I was referring to the blog post, not the topic.  

If you need more guidance then either stop doing things that you need to apologize for or check out http://www.wikihow.com/Apologize !Wiki actually gives really good step by step instructions.

Goodnight,

Robin

Today I am going to discuss the top five most overused and misused words according to me. They are all fine words, but just overused if you ask me. Not that you were asking, but you are reading so here goes.

 1. Depressed. People in their twenties use this word all the time. We are depressed because we have to work, we are depressed because our favorite team lost, we are depressed because gas prices went up (which is actually kind of legitimate), or maybe because it’s raining outside. It really does not matter what is going on, but if something bad happens then we’re usually depressed about it. For example, I heard a conversation that went like this.

It was Sunday night and two people were having a drink

Person 1: okay let’s get the check because I have to wake up early for work tomorrow!

Person 2:  Yea me too. Gosh, I’m depressed now.

That’s actually not depressing at all. In fact, it’s encouraging. I mean have they heard about the economy lately? Waking up for, wait, what’s that you say? A job! Let’s stop using the word depressing to describe trivial things okay guys? Depression is real. It is a serious illness and it is not a temporary feeling. Can we agree that it should be reserved for things outlined by the APA manual? If we keep using this word frivolously then most of us will end up like the little boy who cried wolf. If you become depressed one day I probably won’t believe you. I may think you’re dressing in all black to look European or I might think you just have #firstworldproblems. So stop saying that your nail breaking is depressing or the Atlanta Hawks season is depressing. It’s really not. Whatever happened to just saying “that sucks”? That phrase was less dark and not as dicey. Let’s bring that back.

2. Nice. As a lover of all things good, I do not mind this word. Nice is good. Nice makes me happy. I like nice things. However, if I ask you about someone please don’t let the first thing out of your mouth be “oh she’s nice” or “he’s nice.” I bet the person is nice, but what other adjective can you use? Maybe they’re compassionate, adventurous, or intelligent. I know we can dig deep. Our English teachers taught us better than this. In fact, nice is overused so much that I find myself questioning if the person is really nice or if the person describing them just decided to use that word because they had nothing else to say. Oh, and another thing. Stop going in on people and then ending with “but he/she is nice.”

For example: Betty gets on my nerves. She is always texting me and she is so annoying when we go out. I can’t stand her laugh either, but she is very nice.

Really, call a spade a spade. Betty is probably obnoxious and you talking about her and then ending with “but she’s nice” makes you insincere. And that is not very nice.

3. Like. The word like is like one of those words that like I use a lot and wish I could like stop. Like really stop. I think girls like use it more than like boys, but we should stop. Unless we’re like making like a comparison then we should like really find a new filler word or just think before we talk. Girls use the word like as much as boys use the phrase “you know what I’m sayin’’?” No. Nobody knows what you’re saying because you have not said anything and nobody knows what it was like because you were too busy saying like.

4. Bully. I know I will have to tread carefully with the word bully. Bully, much like the word depressing, is a sensitive word. I believe a true bully, a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker, is a cruel person who needs help. I also think that if we use the word bully too much then the word or the meaning behind it rather will diminish. If everything is bullying then nothing is bullying. For example, if someone takes your chips one time then they are not necessarily a bully. C’mon let’s give people the benefit of the doubt. They might just be hungry, greedy, or a thief. Now, if they push you against the lockers or give you a look that says “give me your spicy Doritos or else…” then yes, that is bullying and we have a problem. Checkout ‘Bully,’ a Documentary by Lee Hirsch for proper usage of the word.

 5. Crazy. The amount of times that people use this word is crazy. In defense of people everywhere who use the word, I know it’s used a lot because there are so many different types of crazy.  I will name a few types.

Mentally crazy: My aunt Sharon is in a hospital because she is crazy.

Party Crazy: That kid Matt goes out every night. He’s crazy!

Relationship Crazy: Man she called my phone 18 times last night. That chick is crazy.

Enamored Crazy: I love my boyfriend. I am just crazy about him.

Idiom ‘Like Crazy’:  Michael Phelps was swimming like crazy in the pool.

 And even though Kanye West apparently did not mean crazy when he said “that sh-t Kray” we heard (literally heard) otherwise. Most of us thought Kray was short for crazy and by the time we learned otherwise the word crazy was back with a vengeance.

 In conclusion, it’s not about the words. They are all perfectly fine words. It’s more about the overuse and/or misuse of the words. Next up on the words/phrases that are overused list: disrespectful, I don’t really care (you do care so stop with this phrase), I’m so tired (from what? Facebook stalking and partying? Get a 5 hr energy or some sleep and keep it moving), really, and awesome. 

Sincerely,

Robin