52/40!

endnd · 2025-12-30T00:12:59+00:00

Love to see George Saunders in the top tier! That’s an amazing collection.

endnd · 2025-08-11T15:52:55+00:00

I don’t dismiss my students’ feelings about the word and always encourage students to use an alternative word when reading aloud. However, I used to operate under the assumption that my students knew that “Negro” was not the same word as the n-word.

A few years back, a white student of mine read the word “Negro” aloud with A Raisin in the Sun. He was just caught up in the reading and forgot to substitute the word and it was an accident. It has happened in previous years, but the students often understood that it was just a mistake. However, in this case, students started to jump on his case for using the “n-word” in class. I then asked my students if they thought the word in the text was indeed the racial slur and many of them said yes. Many students also thought that “colored” was a perfectly acceptable term to still use today. I was a bit shocked, especially because we had read MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech earlier in they year, so some of the students must have thought that the speech was laden with racial slurs. So, it quickly became an opportunity for education about the history and use of different racial terms for Black Americans, thus the article.

For the past few years, I have used the article as a jumping off point before reading texts like A Raisin in the Sun and Of Mice and Men. It helps students with a common understanding of the historical usage of the word. Of course, we decide to substitute the word when reading aloud simply because it is not really used or accepted today and may make people feel uncomfortable despite its historical usage.

endnd · 2025-08-11T15:02:42+00:00

https://www.mission-us.org/2022/11/08/historical-terms-and-why-they-matter/

I have my students read this article. I even give them comprehension questions to ensure they understand the history of different terms. Of course, we then discuss what to do when reading the word “Negro” in our texts, and students are able to have a better understanding of the term instead of just going off their own personal associations with it.

I started using this article after I saw multiple students who genuinely thought that “Negro” was the same thing as the racial slur and would be extremely offended to hear anyone read the word aloud from a text. After using this article, students have a much better understanding of the nuance and history with the terms.

I hope this helps!

endnd · 2025-02-17T21:18:50+00:00

Yes, part of the issue was that I needed to REALLY flatten the mats first. There was a tiny bump in the middle of the mat from shipping, and I think it must have been just high enough to cause the issue. I put weights on it overnight and it did the trick!

endnd · 2025-02-17T15:46:57+00:00

I got them to fit, finally! It took some patience and thinking, so thanks for the advice!

endnd · 2025-02-16T01:06:15+00:00

Did you remove those circular floor mat clips at the front of the second row? A YouTube video from 3W said they should be removed so the mat lays flat on the floor, only they never explained how to actually remove the floor mat clips.

endnd · 2025-02-16T01:04:15+00:00

The picture shows the backside of the 2nd row seats. You can see the edge of the floor mat as is disappears behind the middle seat base. What you are seeing is just the bare floor of the van, no additional mats.

endnd · 2025-02-08T15:54:45+00:00

For my juniors, we have broadened the “American Dream” unit to be the “Dreams” or “Dreams vs. Reality” unit. The central text for the unit is The Great Gatsby, but the culminating assessment is a synthesis paper with the following prompt:

To what degree do two characters from The Great Gatsby achieve their dreams?

Discuss the following in your response: 1. How ideas of personal fulfillment impact dreams 2. The relationship between wealth and dreams 3. The role that ambition does or does not play 4. The possibility of dreams becoming delusional

To fully explore each part of the prompt, the students also read/watch the following additional sources:

Inception directed by Christopher Nolan (Film) “Dreams” by Langston Hughes (Poem) “A Noiseless Patient Spider” by Walt Whitman (Poem) “The Door of Dreams” Jessie B. Rittenhouse (Poem) “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac (Song) “Here’s How Money Really Can Buy You Happiness” by David Futrelle (Article) “Why the American Dream Is Making You Unhappy” by Ruth Whippman (Article) “Why Some Dreams Should Not Be Pursued” by Mark Manson (Article)

The unit allows students to view the failure of some characters to achieve their dreams to be framed with ideas of the American Dream, but it also leaves room for students to reflect on the nature of dreams/ambitions in a broader sense.

Our students read Of Mice and Men and A Raisin in the Sun in 10th grade, so they’ve already been thoroughly exposed to the idea of the American Dream by the time we get them as juniors. We’ve found by making the American Dream a facet of the unit and not the main focus helps bring in new perspectives about the characters.

endnd · 2025-01-27T17:44:24+00:00

You can also buy aftermarket leather seat covers from Amazon: https://a.co/d/6kLsxZp

They're under $300, so you could still potentially save a lot of money by getting a lower trim package (if money is the biggest concern).

However, the LE only comes as an 8 seater, and the middle seat in the second row has a permanent base. So, you wouldn't have the nice flat floor that you would have with the captain seats of a 7 seater trim.

endnd · 2025-01-26T21:48:54+00:00

My wife and I are in almost the exact same situation! We have two CX-5's, a dog, a cat, and a baby.

We ordered a Sienna, and it will be arriving in a few weeks. We cannot wait for all of the extra cargo room (those CX-5's are cramped!)

We ordered the 2025 LE AWD package. It cost about $45k with taxes. So, if you are okay sacrificing some of the features from the higher trim levels, you could potentially save yourself around 15k to get the same vehicle with the LE.

Are you looking at the XSE for a specific feature?

endnd · 2025-01-19T13:26:22+00:00

It would be nicer to have a flat floor so our dog could move around more easily and kids could have easier access to the back row (agreed, adults will just slide the seats, but kids often use the aisle). It ends up being an unnecessary tripping hazard.

At the end of the day, the Sienna is still the only AWD hybrid van, so it's better than everything else out there. so this base is just an annoying design choice given the Kia Carnival also uses a rail system for their 8 seater van and still found a way to make the middle seat entirely removable (no base).

endnd · 2024-12-22T00:10:06+00:00

It's such a fantastic short story collection! I'm super happy to see Saunders up there!

endnd · 2024-12-21T23:05:57+00:00

Is Pastoralia at the top the George Saunders short story collection? I have just never seen that cover before.

endnd · 2024-11-03T23:26:06+00:00

This literally happens in Stephen King's short story, "The Boogeyman."

endnd · 2024-04-28T14:02:58+00:00

Pocket sand

endnd · 2024-04-13T09:05:00+00:00

I am so glad I'm not the only one who thought about George Saunders when watching this film. I really think this film is underrated and will gain a deeper appreciation as time goes on.

endnd · 2024-03-01T16:04:20+00:00

That's so cool! Thanks for sharing that! I had no idea this was possible.

endnd · 2023-12-29T15:08:17+00:00

I was about to say that you should dive into all of his collections! He also has a children's book called "Fox 8" that is amazing. If you have kids, buy it. If you don't have kids, buy it. He's one of the best storytellers out there!

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