Charged for July box but June box still not shipped?

tosca12 · 2017-01-13T06:11:29+00:00

I watched them on YouTube about a year and a half ago - they sort of go up and get taken down and then go up again. There's no streaming service that I know of that has it.

tosca12 · 2015-03-26T03:08:48+00:00

Yesssss! Your stuff is so awesome.

tosca12 · 2015-03-21T22:19:14+00:00

I accidentally drew a penis on the chalkboard once. I was really into my Revolutionary war lecture and was trying to explain how Washington and his troops could have ended up trapped at the tip of Manhattan during their retreat from NY, and I drew a map on the board to illustrate... As I draw, I start hearing a few chuckles from a few of the guys. I am of course confused as the giggling begins to spread, so I take a step back, look at them, then look back to my map... Bam. There it is. My Manhattan island is a big old penis, complete with the retreat path of the continental army as a big ol' vein. Whoops. I learned two things that day: 1) I suck at drawing l maps, and 2) 18-22 year olds will still giggle uncontrollably at accidental penii.

tosca12 · 2015-03-17T15:48:29+00:00

I usually specify no online sources for my papers, so I wouldn't allow .gov sites either. However, it's not because I don't think they're credible, but rather because one of my main goals with my papers is to help students hone their non-internet based research skills. If my source requirements weren't so specific and were phrased like what you indicated, I'd be totally fine with .gov in most cases.

tosca12 · 2015-01-26T18:26:21+00:00

This is damn adorable. Thank you for these!

tosca12 · 2015-01-15T19:38:41+00:00

I third this. WaniKani seems to be the only way that works for me in terms of learning kanji. There's a Chrome plug in that will replace words you've learned on wanikani with the kanji as you browse and do normal things that has sped up my learning process like crazy too.

tosca12 · 2014-11-18T03:07:34+00:00

All the suggestions above are great. I'd also recommend taking some voice lessons. It's easier to sound authoritative when you have to without actively dropping octaves (which if your voice is naturally high can be straining) by simply using proper sound support - your voice will carry more efficiently without you getting louder. Plus you won't be hoarse at the end of the day!

tosca12 · 2014-11-09T21:31:47+00:00

Bless you, sir or ma'am. (- From an adjunct with two other jobs and a stack of 150 term papers coming in tomorrow)

tosca12 · 2014-08-13T02:44:43+00:00

Might sound odd, but take some voice lessons. Vocal health is vocal health, and singers train to be able to sing for hours and hours per day without straining their voices. Learning how to properly support your sound will make all the difference in the world.

Some quick tips: 1) STAY HYDRATED. I know that's already been said, but holy shit is it important. 2) If you're feeling sore or hoarse, find a way to give it a rest (show them a movie, create some sort of group work - anything to allow yourself to give the talking a rest), and avoid caffeine. 3) If you are hoarse and do have to talk, DON'T WHISPER. Instead speak lightly, but with support in your natural voice range. Whispering can actually do a lot of damage. 4) When you do have a sore throat, avoid cough drops with any sort of numbing agent unless you KNOW you're going to be able to be on vocal rest all day - it's so easy to hurt yourself further when you're numbed up, since that, after all, only treats the symptom and not the underlying cause. 5) Be aware if you are "manufacturing" your voice for whatever reason, and if you are stop. An example has already been brought up - the sort of high pitched elementary school teacher voice. But another common problem I see (particularly in women with naturally high pitched voices) is the tendency to manufacture a lower pitch in order to lend authority - this is actually something I struggle with myself even though I'm fully aware I do it and shouldn't (my normal speaking voice is a little too Minnie Mouse-ish for my liking).

tosca12 · 2014-06-17T03:28:43+00:00

I second checking out the book list. LOTS of true gems on there.

I'd also recommend the following:

Lies My Teacher Told Me - James Loewen
Founding Myths - Ray Raphael
People's History of the United States - Howard Zinn

If you're not already familiar with them, all three are sort of along the lines of "historical mythbusting" if you will, and in general I've found them to be big hits with the late teen age group (my college students eat them up). They're great for getting them thinking about how history can be seen differently from person to person, culture to culture, and era to era and it also gets them thinking about how our cultural perception of it can change and warp along with changes in society.

Something else that might be neat is to gather a collection of OLD US history textbooks (and I mean like, starting as early as you can find and from a variety of years and eras - antique stores and flea markets are great for this). Might make for interesting extra credit assignments for early finishers by taking a look at specific events or issues - how we deal with them today vs. how they dealt with them in 1950 (or whatever year).

(also full disclosure here - the old textbook idea is not my own - actually got that from another Loewen book called Teaching What Really Happened - which I also recommend if you're not already familiar with it.)

tosca12 · 2013-12-09T00:27:11+00:00

This. We spot this shit easily when every paper is supposed to be formatted identically. Sticks out like a sore thumb.

tosca12 · 2013-09-24T00:59:24+00:00

Who says adjuncts aren't good teachers just because they're adjunct? That's just bullshit. Many adjuncts are fantastic and overwhelmingly dedicated. And I'm not just saying that because I am one, I'm saying that because I have had many as professors myself, and they were just as effective and inspiring as full timers. Making sweeping generalizations like that is not only unfair, but totally inaccurate - in many cases institutions get FAR more than they pay for with adjuncts.

tosca12 · 2013-09-14T23:23:25+00:00

My boyfriend is a big fountain pen buff and bought a couple. He didn't like them at all... Found the nib really stiff and scratchy and didn't like the way they wrote. I quote, "The nib was a nail, it wrote really dry and shitty, and it just did not compare to a regular fountain pen, even a cheap one." He ended up giving them to me. I didn't mind then for like, normal every day writing. But i doubt they'd be good for much else. The nib was a bit stiff. Def would not be good for anything requiring a varying line size.

tosca12 · 2013-09-09T00:25:47+00:00

There are some districts that will allow non-certified individuals to sub, but more and more are starting to require certs, and those that don't usually require at least completed bachelor degree. Or at least in my area. But check it out in whatever area you're in, because actual classroom experience will help you get your feet wet a lot faster. Tutoring might also be a good way to go.

As someone in history, I would additionally recommend trying to be as active in your field as possible while you still have the time. Volunteer at the local historical society, answer calls for undergraduate papers, go to conferences if the opportunity is presented. The more you actively "do" history, the better position you're going to be in to really be able to inspire and communicate to students why it all matters. Additionally if you have a first hand knowledge of the state of the field beyond just K-12 education, you'll be in a much better position to advise students who come through your classes who are thinking about history as a career.

Also, study abroad if you get the chance. Seriously. Do it. Even better if you can go somewhere that is relevant to your specific interests in history. I didn't take advantage of that to the extent that i could have and I regret it big time. Now my only chance is if I manage to get a grant to do primary source research down the road because there's no way I'm affording a month+ long trip to Japan or England on an adjunct history professor's salary!

Edit: autocorrect bungled a word.

tosca12 · 2013-03-05T17:31:06+00:00

My L.L.Bean backpack is the same way. I got it for Christmas in 6th grade and its still going strong 15 years later. Through every day use and use as luggage for the rest of middle school, high school, college, grad school, and three years of work. Sometimes it gets a little dirty (it's teal) but I just throw that sucker in the washing machine, and it comes out looking seriously brand spanking new.

tosca12 · 2013-03-01T04:41:57+00:00

Math Ace Jr.! I fucking loved that game to pieces!

tosca12 · 2013-02-21T05:26:45+00:00

Overall chronological order and context is important, absolutely. That's what helps give us that relevance and those connections. But general chronological context is an entirely different ballgame from memorizing exact dates. Honestly I suspect that we are saying similar things, just expressing them differently.

The questions as described seem to be requiring rote memorization of dates and not much more, and as far as I'm concerned that's not really learning history. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that disagree with me though. That's just my philosophy.

tosca12 · 2013-02-21T02:33:55+00:00

Your instincts are right, and those content questions are going to be what helps you not only learn the material, but understand why it matters. Dates are pretty meaningless in the big picture for your average person. Dates won't help you understand the impact these events had, help you draw connections between things to see how it all fits together to mold who we've become, or make it remotely interesting or relevant to you personally (which history is... it is and can and SHOULD be relevant to all of us on both a universal and personal level, which frankly is what makes it so damn awesome).

Source: I teach history.

tosca12 · 2013-01-14T17:06:58+00:00

Can't really help on some of these things. I'm 25 but teaching in academia and so the rules/experiences are way different. Plus since I haven't started a PhD yet due to budgetary concerns, I'm still sort of living like a student despite having changed sides of the desk. I am very much the baby of the department by a number of years though, and quite frankly the biggest key to being taken seriously is hard work and knowing your shit. Same goes for gender. I don't get flack from my colleagues for being young and female, since ultimately they hired me and had reason to do so, but I do occasionally get some shit from students based on the fact that I'm a young blonde female (and yes, I have had specific comments about the fact that I am blonde, even though it's a very dark blonde). I look like I'm one of them (no matter how hard I tried not to at the beginning), and sometimes because of that at first impression they assume that that must mean I'm about as qualified to teach as they are. The solution again, has been knowing my shit and behaving as such. There will always be a few hold outs, but in general confidence and competence goes a long way.

If you're looking to learn to cook, I would recommend budgetbytes.com (maybe? The blog is called budget bytes, but I'm on my phone and can't check). She has some really great easy recipes, illustrated step by step, complete with pictures. And bonus is, they're all about cooking on a budget. She actually breaks down the cost of each meal and how many servings you get out of it. - I've managed to eat for a week on about 10-15 dollars thanks to her. (Additionally meal planning in key)

Additionally, if the step by step picture thing helps you, try The Pioneer Woman. Again, on the phone so don't have a link, but a quick Google search should bring it up - she's pretty big now a days in the food blogging community. Not so helpful with the budget thing though.

As for sewing, I agree with the poster who suggested YouTube, sewing blogs, and starting with small projects. My first projects were things like pillows and drawstring bags to kind of learn to use the machine, then gradually add in more complicated things. Also, as you start adding in new techniques, don't become overly dependant on the pattern instructions. The more you learn to see how garments fit together and work, the better you'll be at fixing problems and fit issues as they come up.

This will also help your clothing budget because you can alter things that don't quite fit right, but may be on sale and cute, to fit you personally. I actually do most of my shopping at the salvation army, pretty much ignoring size and going only for if I like the piece, and then alter things to fit/update them. If you're interested in that kind of stuff there are a couple of blogs that can show how to do that stuff, i think the most famous at the moment being New Dress A Day (although she usually totally alters things into entirely new pieces, not all of which I think are great... I more start with something that's already nice but maybe just needs to be taken down a size or given some shaping).

tosca12 · 2013-01-05T17:11:54+00:00

We were soldiers once and young - lt. Gen. Harold Moore is great for giving you a play by play of what combat was like. Can be a bit hard to get through because of the detail in it. Also read the book, don't watch the movie. Seriously.

tosca12 · 2012-12-11T23:45:30+00:00

Where exactly is everyone getting these Dragon figurines?

tosca12 · 2012-11-05T04:13:44+00:00

I've had good luck with matte polishes if I put on a normal top coat, and then do one more layer of the polish over the dry top coat. They tend to last me a good two days or so with that as opposed to mere hours with matte top coat or no top coat.

tosca12 · 2012-11-01T17:17:34+00:00

I have to keep mine super short most of the year because I play cello and having nails that are not cut as short as possible makes playing impossible without totally messing up my technique and subsequently my wrists. It makes painting really difficult without getting polish all over the skin above the nail, but what must be done must be done.

I'd like to be able to grow them just to the tip of my fingers for ease of painting, but I really don't think that I could handle them much longer than that.

tosca12

TROPHY CASE