Teachers....What are they teaching anyway?

So it seems my daily post idea was short lived, I guess it happens when you're in college. *Shrugs*

Speaking of college, as some of you may know, I'm currently in college to become a teacher. [a music education teacher to be exact.] As I go through my schooling day to day, learning how to teach, and what methods to produce the best results, one topic comes up.

Salary.

The average teacher in America makes $45,000 [as quoted from my textbook.] Now, you could think I'm ranting about this just because I want to be a teacher, so I want to be rich. No, that's not it. Not only is pay low as a public educator, they do not receive my credit for what they do. Why can a doctor make $100+K and people think of him/her as a qualified 'professional'. My question today is, Why are teachers not considered 'professionals'? Is it the monetary value that qualifies you to be a professional?

You know, I find it quiet ironic, after all, who taught the doctor how to do the things they are capable of anyway? You guessed it, A TEACHER. It seems our society has forgotten just what exactly it is that teachers do. They shape the minds of our children, they teach them the tools to go out and be a productive part of society. Have you ever thought what would happen if there were no teachers?

Just food for thought, and please, give teachers their due, they work hard for it.

Stay Classy, Interweb

TMZ = Too Much!

Have you ever watched Entertainment Tonight? Access Hollywood? TMZ?

Everyone has flipped on the television to see these shows on, and maybe you've even watched a few minutes of them out of sheer curiosity, I have, otherwise I guess I couldn't be discussing it.

But that is beside the point.

Why do we [Americans] hold celebrities to such high standards? When did these people become our new idols? There are shows completely devoted to finding the most obscene picture first, the most dirt we can find on them as possible. They swarm these celebrities cars, hundreds of camaras flashing.

Here's a news flash I wish they'd post on TMZ.com - Celebrities are real people too!

I'm willing to go ahead and call this what it is - an epidemic. And it's sickening. We need to leave these people alone and just let them do whatever the hell they want, just like you do the neighbor 6 houses down in your sub-division. I dare you to go stand outside his yard and take pictures of him without his consent.

It is not the fault of the thoughtless staff of these entertainment shows. It's us. It's us as Americans who have shown such strong interest that it's become what it has. If we simply put aside every aspects of these people's lives and just enjoy they're movies [their career - because lets face it, do you care what the guy in the local Mcdonalds drive-thru does on the weekends? - I thought not, and it's the same thing the celebs are doing, go figure!] If we could ever manage to do that, maybe things would change in America, but hey, don't let me interrupt your episode of TMZ...

Until Monday, Stay Classy, interweb.

Could We Be So Naive?

Have you ever really stepped back and thought about where our country stands in its interest?

I mean, really stands in its interest?

I do not claim tail upon tail of conspiracy (besides, George W. Bush calls you a terrorist if you question his motives) I just question at what point in our nations 232 years history did our government begin to ignore the good of the people, and begin to use the good of the leaders rule. In many ways, I know longer consider our country a democracy. A big way to prove this is World War I and World War II. Remember that neutral stance we had? We could have easily gotten involved, but our leaders saw the people didn't want it, so they respected that and kept us neutral.

Until Pearl Harbor.

I could begin this paragraph with tells of conspiracy but I wont...I'm not ignorant enough to say our government caused Pearl Harbor. But they knew about it before it happened. That's a fact, and fact that I believe can be well applied to 9/11. Our country has gone downhill fast. Many say we follow in the footsteps of Rome, and well, we all know how that ends.

Could we all be so naive as to believe everything the government tells us is true? Everything? If you do, then yes you are that naive, and I deeply feel sorry for you. I will not tell you want to believe, but instead to question things. If right now you say, 'But how do you know they hide information for the public?' I answer you with this.

'How do you know they don't?'

Don't stand by while our country slowly falls apart from within, question your government, if you haven't noticed, the people we elect to do the work us, don't care what we think in reality. It will take something bigger than just voting to change our course.

Just some food for though...

Stay Classy, interweb.

Drum Corp$ (Yes that's a dollar sign)

Three things come to mind when I think of Drum corps.

1. The amazing shows that these Corps produce year after year.
2. The desire I have to want to participate in this activity while I still can.
3. Money.

The one thing I strongly disagree with in drum corps (other than George Hopkins) is money. I understand the costs it takes to run a drum corps, and I am in no way claiming that corps 'charge' too much. What I want to elaborate on is the fact that a corps shouldn't have to charge anything.

DCI is often quoted as 'Marching Music's Major League', actually, I'm pretty sure that's trademarked by Drum Corps International. (it is, in fact) I do not fault DCI for calling Drum Corps that, I actually believe it's quiet a truthful statement. But let's for a minute review some other 'Major Leagues' in our culture today, shall we?

1.MLB (Major League Baseball)
2.NFL (National Football League)
3.NBA (National Basketball Association)
4.NHL (National Hockey League)
5.Golf (not sure if it even has a Acronym attached to it) [probably does]

Now, what's different about these 'Major Leagues' compared to the activity that we call drum corps? What's that, a little louder?

Money

The people who participate in the 5 groups I listed above get paid millions to do what they do. They demonstrate some talent in the field they are in (i.e. I can make this little ball go in this little hole on ground, now where's my check?) All this happens for what reason, what purpose? Entertainment for the public?

While this is happening, there are youth from 14-21 who are wanting to participate in the activity called Drum Corps. They demonstrate a talent in the field (i.e. I can play my horn and move my feet at the same time) however, instead of, 'now where's my check?' the kids are asking 'who do I write the check to?' It now cost upwards of 2,000-3000 dollars to march a drum corps in today's world. And yes, corps do fundraisers to lower this cost, but lets face it, the time the kids have to put into fundraising, they could have been working and making the same. (but who wants to pay taxes, right?)

I think the real person to blame for this is the government. I include public education in the same field as the government because...well...it is. We pour our tax dollars and money into the entertainment factor that sports create, but when it comes to music, our government turns it eye and tries to push it under the rug. It's not fair, and something should be done about it. While we cannot snap our fingers and make millions appear to the DCI headquarters, we can do our part to help. And how is that?

Sponsor someone to march. Whatever amount you can, even down to $10 can add up to someone desperate to march before they 'age-out' (no I don't believe in the term graduation from drum corps) If you're well off money-wise, sponsor someone fully. You have no idea what you would mean to them. I know when I begin my career as a music educator, I will help someone march. So I ask you, what are you doing to help Drum Corps stay alive?

Stay Classy, interweb.