The Flip Side

Aristotle once said, "Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach." I have always thought of myself as a person who is less spectacular than most. I don't stand out much, either in personality, dress, or knowledge. Yet, former students always attest to the helpfulness and guidance I gave them.

Thinking about college week takes me back to my own road - a bumpy one, for sure - to college. Everything I came to know about college, I learned during my senior year. Unfortunately, I learned that my 3 previous years were the measuring stick colleges used for admission. Mistake. Never will I be unprepared again. The grade gods heaped blessings upon me as I received all A's my freshman year. This was the calm before the storm. Their wrath wreaked havoc on my sophomore and junior years, bringing more C's than A's. By senior year, I was considered a joke in my class. As one of 4 asian students, people assumed brains and A's. When reality didn't meet expectation, they laughed. Someone even challenged me - $50 to the person with the highest GPA by year's end. Then I rained havoc on them. A shiny 3.78 GPA to end the year earned me $50.

My choices for college were narrow. Community college or bust. Of course, people always spoke of the black hole community college offered. Close to home, too many friends around, and no sight towards the future 4 year university that lay waiting. It was a recipe for disaster. At Antelope Valley College, though, the one activity I sought peace in gave me a way out: tennis. After enrolling in and attending a tennis class at AVC, the teacher, who also was the women's tennis coach, told me about tryouts for the men's team. I went, the men's coach hit with me, and the rest was history. I thought I was just playing tennis. But the coach also mentioned academic counseling, as well as the opportunity to register for classes first. Instead of get swallowed up by the system, I used it. I completed lower division general education classes, found English as a major, pulled a 3.5 GPA, and transferred to Loyola Marymount University. Two years of college. $3,000 spent.

At Loyola Marymount University, or LMU, people told me that graduating with a bachelor's degree in 4 years was hard. They also said to enjoy college. Well, I did both. I took classes all week, studied when I wasn't in class or sleeping, and spent hours learning how to use a computer to type all my papers. Hard work. I finished all my English classes, along with a introductory singing class and acting class. I also joined the school's Pilipino club, Isang Bansa. It was absolutely the best two years of my life.

But if you want to become a teacher, an even greater road lay ahead. Two more years in a school of education, where teachers taught teachers how to teach. Mount St. Mary's College offered this opportunity, and I opened my arms to it. After working a job in the morning as a teacher's aide, I spent my own time earning a classroom of my own. All the money I earned from my job went to school. I was living on ramen and fast food. I knew there would be better times, though. Why? Because I went to college.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

AP English - Capote and Eliot (POST 1)

All right, boys. As Coolio once said, "Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage." (Check the video on YouTube if you don't know who he is. Coolio "Fantastic Voyage"...Thank me later.)

So as I told you before, the blog will be a place for you to post your thoughts and ideas. For other business, email will take care of that. For tomorrow, please print the story "Miriam" by Truman Capote https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WZPLVZU3dVxqMKkpRxGJCauyvNRN6p2_TUFiCK-XqrE/edit . Be sure to read it. Discussions happen in small groups tomorrow. Remember to discuss character, themes, motifs, and larger meaning of the text.

For your second task, I present to you the poem "Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot. http://poetry.poetryx.com/poems/784/ After you read it, in the comment box below, discuss the greater appeal of the poem. What is Eliot's larger reasoning for writing this poem? Do you notice any figurative language techniques he uses? What effect do they give to the poem? Blast off below for your first taste of comment madness. Remember to identify yourself at end of post. Have fun.

Mr. Gaba

By the way, my wife and baby are fine.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day, here is a poem that makes a person think about the day.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/in-flanders-field/

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." Arthur Ashe

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

What a teacher makes...

The profession of teaching is a mixed bag: it is a thankless job that students, parents, and others outside the profession constantly criticize, but there are times when it brings smiles, chuckles, inspiration, and satisfaction.

Monday, March 11, 2013

The Blogs are here

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

I went to college too...