JuicyLesson 249: Fear and Loathing … Pics of Ultra-Thin Geraldo … Jerry Stream of Consciousness … More Rx For Better Teaching … Italy Goes Home, Feeling Uruguay’s Bite …

Featured today we have George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, circa. Beatles break-up, post their final studio album “Let it Be” which is the Beatles’ twelfth, released just before the Beatles broke up in 1970. John either was or chose to be excluded. Anyway, we end up in this relatively short clip with George, Paul, and Ringo doing “I. Me. Mine.” Good music. Excellent words from George. Well worth a listen in my view anyway.

I make the effort necessary not to take possession of things; I use the term “our” or “the” class as opposed to using the more possessive “my” class, and I always employ the more affirmative (like we all – teachers and students – must take ownership of these things) “our” classroom or “our challenges” rather than the negative, non-affirmative – get ready for this steam of thought because, in my well-considered opinion, what follows is one of the keys to being a successful teacher – you must ensure that and it is also your professional responsibility to deliver the positive, affirmative, take charge, and ownership, NOT again like it’s “mine”, not “yours” not even “ours” – like telling the poor kid that he has no stake in this thing, and that he doesn’t stand much chance of ever securing one (and the non “non- judgemental”) “my” classroom or the more loaded “your issues”, “your problems”.

Teachers’ taking refuge in stuff like the just mentioned will produce nothing except antagonism on the part of the student, most likely, and probably on the part of the teacher too. You want to make the student see you care. Two things right off the bat.

[You gotta have passion for the job; otherwise, get out. Right Now. If not sooner.
]

Number 1 – It is really hard to do much caring for students especially when some of them steal, cheat, lie, forge, fuck, hide and deal, as well as bug your ass au bout in the classroom, making you take all your sick days as well as you being almost forced to hope for ice/snow days of which there were – and in abundance I should add which was indeed most fortunate since half my classes were driving me nuts.

Put it this way. If I hadn’t been able to land a permanent contract at Phoenix Alternative, where the onus was on the student to perform to his greater capacity, I likely would have retired in 2005 rather than five years later, in 2010 when Scleroderma – see the results of this disease elsewhere in this classy, revealing and frightfully honest expose which earns the right to be called a JuicyLesson.

So back to Number 1 re. showing students who bug the crap out of you, complete assholes who perceive you as an enemy, even before meeting you, as someone who could never be on their side. You must find a way to care about those who demonstrate they care, and to show it.

For example, one of my lovely Sec. 5’s at Laval Cathloic said this to me: “You shouldn’t worry about some of the boys in our class. They’ll be pushing brooms for the rest of their lives.” Someone to care about but not only her. Also, those guys to which she was referring. I did not succeed at Laval Catholic; maybe with more time, I may have. Who knows? I like my chances. Don’t forget that that was my first contract in the public sector, except for those I entered into as a sub, on both a daily and longer-term basis.

Number 2: if you don’t care and/or don’t want to show it, then get out of the teaching profession. Now. What was reported to me – an unidentified colleague at Laval Catholic made the following observation about me to an excellent friend and co-educator, who, in turn, relayed it to me: “Jerry cares about the kids and does his job.” Even while not being that successful at that time. In that place.

To all those men and women out there who, hopefully for different reasons want to jump on my bones, just be aware of what you’d all be jumping on.

Me in what appears to be a hippie-ish kilt.

“What’s that what’s written on my T-Shirt, as Cletis might say. Definitely.

Getting down to basics

Finally, the under-nourished, Scleroderma-induced look, 112 lbs. soaking wet. Don’t take this wrong, but to me I resemble a camp victim. If not for med-pot in oil form, which induces appetite, I honestly don’t know what would happen to me, where I’d end up, how I’d “finish”, as it were. In hospital most likely, being fed through tubes, instead of consuming oil as shown in JuicyLesson 234. Check it out if you haven’t already simply by clicking on www.AJuicyLessonPerDay.net and scrolling down until you come to it. Next step: click on Read More to get the complete JuicyLesson, including the instructional video.

… And that ain’t no bullet hole baby, on my right side, lower part.

World’s Most Dangerous road, Largest Salt flat on earth and the most remote terrain that looks like the surface of Mars known as the Altipl on. Click on ‘Motorcycle Diaries’.

Brilliant save from Foster keeps the ball out and England level with Costa Rica, for now, anyway.

Now it’s time for our daily dose of soccer pix and highlights from Day 13 World Cup Action [from Tuesday 06/24, la grosse Fete Nationale, unforgettable date, June 24th, that is.]

Below: Luis Suarez checks his teeth after taking a chomp out of Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder during Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy on Tuesday. It’s the third time the forward has bitten an opponent during a game.

PHOTO: AFP PHOTO/ JAVIER SORIANO

NATAL, Brazil — Uruguay striker Luis Suarez could once again be in trouble and facing a long ban after appearing to bite an Italian opponent Tuesday in a key World Cup group game.

The incident, visible on television replays, showed Suarez apparently bite the shoulder of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini as the pair clashed in the Italian penalty area. It happened about a minute before Uruguay scored in the 81st to secure a 1-0 win, sending Italy out of the tournament.

Suarez was chasing the ball and was blocked by the Italy defender. He buried his mouth briefly in Chiellini’s shoulder and the Italian player fell over, apparently in pain and clutching the shoulder. The Suarez reeled away holding his mouth.

It is the third biting incident involving the talented but controversial striker, who has also been banned for racist abuse and was heavily criticized for a blatant handball that played a large role in knocking Ghana out of the 2010 World Cup.

Above: Action from Day 13: Greece 2; Côte d’Ivoire 1.
Greece awarded penalty at the tail end of stoppage time at game’s-end to win it [see below]and advance with Columbia from Group while Japan and Côte d’Ivoire limp home.

Above: Ivory Coast’s goalkeeper Boubacar Barry concedes a penalty to Greece’s forward Georgios Samaras (back C) during the Group C football match between Greece and Ivory Coast at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 24, 2014. Greece won 2-1. AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINISARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

More action from Tuesday, Group C: Columbia 4; Japan 1.

Oops. How did the above get mixed in here? How, indeed!

The beautiful game. Very beautiful.

Peace. Out.

Shalom.