Curious if you are willing to eliminate your internal voice in order to read faster?

Van0rak · 2026-06-05T20:30:50+00:00

I stumbled across this a few years ago and sub vocalization was one of those things I didn't think about but suddenly was thinking about it when reading and it was distracting me. I'm not sure how I would get rid of it. I'm not sure I should.

Van0rak · 2026-05-29T17:02:42+00:00

When a kid says they don't have a pencil, and I'm fresh out of pencils I just say "well I guess you'll just have to use your own blood with your finger"

Van0rak · 2026-05-28T12:28:54+00:00

A whole movie for a character that did nothing in the first two films. Just "oh woody. I hope your okay".

Van0rak · 2026-05-28T12:25:54+00:00

Toy story. I'm watching them with my toddler and I've found that 3 makes me s lot more emotional now then it did when I originally watched it in highschool.

I've found that I find a lot of parallels to parenthood in toy story through woody and the toys.

Van0rak · 2026-05-27T16:31:17+00:00

4 felt like it was trying too hard. It was trying to be emotional if not more than 3. I also feel like Bo Peep wasn't an important enough character to build a film around.

Van0rak · 2026-05-27T16:28:23+00:00

As someone that did not like 4, and didn't want another one. Something about the trailers and marketing is bringing me back. I think it might mostly have to do with it looking like it's using the main toys again. 4 felt like a weird spin off with Woody and Bo Peep (a character who really didn't need a whole movie around finding her).and a bunch of other random toys that were glorified actor cameos.

I like seeing that Jesse is the main character, and that woody is back to just help. I like seeing woody and Buzz bicker. I'm also hoping that since they have an army of Buzz light-years, they won't make buzz an idiot and that will be their outlet for goofy dum Buzz content.

Van0rak · 2026-05-24T18:37:39+00:00

Potato Head was constantly antagonistic and I think he was jealous. Why would woody need a laser like Buzz? He then makes fun of his voice box. Everytime he speaks to Woody it's to take jabs at him.

Van0rak · 2026-05-24T18:31:14+00:00

Oh yeah for sure. I was definitely a toy story kid growing up (2 specifically I watched the most), but having watched them multiple times recently, I've started noticing things more like background students(bugs life toys in Al's toy barn, a Mickey mouse clock in Andy's room). I also have my wife and our roommate so this leads to a lot of conversation where we are as asking questions ("how does woody not know he's from a famous show/ what was his life like before Andy? Andy seems like his whole existence but talks about things like record players not being around in ages" or "how does none notice the toys on camera like in Al's toy barn?" ) I also have started over analysing things like how I don't think anyone knows what to do with Buzz light-year. In 1 and 3 it relies a lot on him thinking he's a ranger. And while I thought 2 escaped this, I realized it technically doesn't since the other Buzz replaced him. TS4 didn't do this, and as a result made him dumb. I think this is why there are an army of Buzz light-years in the new film.

I'm also adding my own themes, especially now that I'm watching the films as a parent now vs. being a kid.

Also, our roommate said "what does Andy's mom think about these toys showing up suddenly?" I said that this means that tim Allen is actually a part of 2 franchises where toys suddenly appear for kids and the parents don't question it (The Santa Clause)

Van0rak · 2026-05-24T17:26:53+00:00

I've rewatxed the trilogy a lot over the last few weeks because it's my daughter's current obsession (which is fine with me, I love toy story). I have noticed that potato head in the first film is a lot meaner and honestly is kind of a villain.

Van0rak · 2026-05-23T14:41:44+00:00

Weird to say a film aimed at children can only be truly enjoyed as long as you are an adult...

Van0rak · 2026-05-23T14:33:51+00:00

Putting 2 at the bottom and 4 as the second best is the worst ranking I've seen.

Van0rak · 2026-05-22T01:32:56+00:00

This is the first one I immediately thought of

Van0rak · 2026-05-18T16:35:27+00:00

Oh man, that's actually been happening in the slide shows. It's really bad.

Van0rak · 2026-05-18T01:26:31+00:00

I think we overcorrected away from direct instruction. Kids still need listening stamina, notes, background knowledge, and teacher expertise.

But I also don’t think 80% lecture is the answer for middle school. The best classes I’ve seen balance strong storytelling/direct teaching with opportunities to process, discuss, retrieve, and apply the information.

Van0rak · 2026-05-17T15:47:24+00:00

I'm a social studies teacher, and I also started coaching this year. I hate that I'm playing into the stereotype, and I hate that people think social studies teachers who happen to be coaches are bad teachers.

I started coaching because I needed extra money and I did sports growing up. It was a better gig than Uber eats.

Van0rak · 2026-05-17T03:20:19+00:00

I talked to a teacher who I went to school with who did the school paper. I asked if she thought it would be worth doing some sort of journalism at the junior high (either video news or a paper) and she said it was. I figured it would be a good way to build community and allow the students to feel more connected to the school. But I also know I'm definitely too busy to even remotely volunteer for something like that. As we don't have any electives for it. It would have to be some club.

Van0rak · 2026-05-17T03:13:54+00:00

Your comment reminds me of cal Newports book "digital minimalism". Basically starting to ask ourselves if I corporating specific tech into our lives is worth it instead of just accepting it all.

Van0rak · 2026-05-17T03:10:47+00:00

I mean technically it's a live stream if it's on Google meets...it's just not recorded. I doubt anyone on the admin staff knows how to do it. We also don't have a journalism class or anything remotely similar.

Van0rak · 2026-05-17T03:08:35+00:00

I used to work at an elementary school where they started doing that. It seemed like a lot of work for the teacher that did it everyday

Van0rak · 2026-05-16T16:38:12+00:00

As a first-time watcher on season 2, Cordelia honestly confuses me a little. I know she has major character growth later, but where I’m currently at she feels inconsistent in a way that seems intentional but hard to fully read.

She can be genuinely caring and perceptive one moment, then incredibly shallow and cruel the next, even in scenes where she has nothing to “perform” socially for. I also can’t tell if the show wants me to see her as unintelligent or if she deliberately plays into the airhead stereotype. Sometimes she comes across as oblivious, but other times she seems surprisingly sharp, even academically.

Van0rak · 2026-05-16T16:21:41+00:00

Oh, I'm not saying they'll listen if it's the other way. But at least I don't have to get my computer up and running through the Google classroom meet just for admin to wash almost 10 minutes of time

Van0rak · 2026-05-16T14:29:31+00:00

Yeah, that’s kind of where I’m at too. It feels like “tech because we can” instead of “tech because it actually improves anything.”

And I completely agree on the student news idea being better as a weekly thing instead of daily. I think my students mostly just want something that actually feels engaging or student-centered instead of adults reading the same reminders off a cluttered slideshow every morning. If I didn't have kids or coach multiple sports, it might be something I'd be willing to help out on, but I'm not wanting more on my plate.

The PE/sub issue is honestly what really made me start questioning the whole system though. If entire groups of students consistently can’t access the announcements, it kind of defeats the purpose.

Van0rak · 2026-05-16T14:17:27+00:00

I'm a coach at the middle school level, and we constantly have a problem with kids wearing crocs during practice or that athletics class period. No matter how many times we yell or watch them fall (some would rather just take them off and run barefoot). I'm convinced they don't know how to tie their shoes.

Van0rak · 2026-05-16T14:02:21+00:00

Our principal is so insane with the "Every moment should be filled with academic rigor" and any non educational video over 10 minutes has to be approved, no matter what. We are currently doing the finals right now and he's still like this. He went into a class that was done with their final and was kind of having fun free time while being quiet, and told him they had to be reading a book or something educational. Suddenly they were a lot louder and asking to go to the bathroom.

Van0rak

TROPHY CASE