The best teachers I've had, had an agenda.

Their agenda was to teach in such a way that we would learn the material, regardless of whether their methods were popular with the students. They came across as tough and unfeeling at first, but boy did I learn from them!

I'm all for being a student-friendly teacher, but the greatest goal of a teacher is not to be a friend to the student but to teach them. I don't think the two ideas are mutually exclusive, however.

It is this quality that I do not yet posess as a teacher. I care too much about what my students think. I let my perception of a student's attitude about my teaching style or content dictate to some extant how I go about teaching. I lose the big picture, because I suddenly must make sure my students are perfectly happy with the class.

But in essence that is allowing the students control over the class, which would likely be disastrous in terms of the amount they learn. I'm the teacher because hopefully there's something valuable that I can convey to my students.

But then, there's also a perspective that says, hey, make sure you learn from everyone around you, including your students. It's imperative--essential--to let the student have a voice and to genuinely listen to their input, because it's likely that they see something that you don't, even if they aren't the teacher.

These are some thoughts of mine as I ponder my music teaching experience this year.

I know there are several fine teachers that are reading this. I'm sure you have input about this.

Two brown clad-feet inserted into mouth examples

1.

Byran, to acquaintance, as the two approach one another at OSU: "How's it going?"

Acquaintance: "Good. How's it going for you?"

Byran, as they are getting really close (and for a split second he loses it): "Good. How's it going?"

Acquaintance laughs sort of confusedly they continue past each other.

Byran smiles and shakes his head.

2.

Today IIE had an Easter Egg hunt for the children of the IME faculty. This was a really, really cool event because it I saw a different side of some of my professors--them with their families.

Anyway, remember that there was this professor who was very emphatic about us calling him Dr. Billo? He comes around the corner with his wife, recognizes me, and say "Hi Byran." So I say, "Hi Richard."

Hi Richard? I called him Richard! I have no idea why.

I'm sorry, I misled you. These new "things" on the webside, they're not complete songs. Well, except for one.

The idea is to give you a taste but tease you enough that you just have to get the album, or something like that.

At any rate, they are clips, except for Keep in the Middle of the Road.

How'd I do, Tom?

Go here: Purpose Sound Clips

There are four complete songs from our new album up on the website. Not their final versions, but close enough.

Oh, boy, I'm just not very good at doing the joke thing.

'Cause see, even if I try to, I don't have the heart to carry it through.

Tom and Kon, however, are the masters. Tom once convinced me that pointing the remote control at his glasses and pressing the volume button hurt his eyes. He doesn't seem to care if people believe whatever, he just thinks it's funny.

But me? I'm a softy or something.

Just in case rumors have already started: AHQ is not getting 10 million dollars anytime soon! It was a scam!!

I think.

Haha.

Shoddy (and hopeful) bookkeeping

So AHQ doesn’t keep very good books. This fact wasn’t particularly apparent until tax time, when we hired a real accountant to figure out our taxes, since we’re registered as a partnership and it’s all confusing. And we've got real issues.

But hopefully we’ll never again have to worry about keeping books. We’ll just hire a secretary and fire him/her if he/she makes a mess of them.

That’s because…

WE MAY GET 10 MILLION DOLLARS ANY DAY NOW!!!!

Yeah, it’s hard to believe but there’s this missionary couple who got killed in a plane crash and they were really rich. Well, see, they left their money with this caretaker guy, who happened to be surfing the web one day and he came across OUR SITE! Can you believe it??? And we need money, too. What’s even crazier is that this guy was going to keep the money, but he heard the preaching of Benny Hinny and he got saved and now he wants to do with the money what he knows the couple would have wanted to do with it! Give it to a worthy Christian ministry. And he picked us! What are the odds.

It’s almost too good to be true.

No one else is excited about lowest weighted tardiness initial solution algorithms I guess.

It's understandable, I suppose.

I am a bad verbal, spontaneous storyteller.

I think youth baseball is a positive thing in this day an age.

In a society where it's fast food, video games, and action movies, baseball provides a constructive, competitive environment that requires...patience. It takes discipline to maintain focus throughout the innings of a game in which the ball may not ever come to you and you may bat only three times.