In the Lou

I write about my experiences partly because it is therapeutic and partly because it saves me from sending those annoying update emails to family and friends who don’t want them. Through the magic of internet statistics, I know that quite a few people I don’t know also are reading.

As of this week, I can add a few more people to the list. My blog was featured by the LA Times as the School Me! education blog of the week. Very exciting.

In the spirit of promoting the blog, I want to offer an email option for those that would like to save a few clicks.

I recently was asked by someone about my favorite place in St. Louis. I basically stumbled on the question. Not truly sure of the answer. But a more shocking realization is that maybe I hadn’t yet explored enough of the city.

I finally settled on the penguin room at the St. Louis Zoo. I think my fondness for the cute animals in their black in white was heightened by the fact that the penguin room was kept at a chilly temperature which was a cool oasis on the hot, steamy day during which I visited.

The point of this post, though, is to laud the experience I had at the Moolah Temple movie theater this past weekend. This place was Great. (notice the capital) What could make a movie theater so deserving of a blog post?

Imagine your optimum home theater set up. Large screen. Excellent sound system. Plush leather seating.

For a few dollars, you can buy a ticket and watch a movie in such a place. I watched a movie and ate my popcorn while sunken into an overstuffed and extra comfortable leather armchair. I accidentally spilled the water on the floor, so I didn’t get to enjoy that.

What’s great about this place is that it is the converted ballroom (?) of the old Moolah Shriners’ Temple. The Moolahs moved out “to the county,” and now a movie theater inhabits the majestic space.

If you come to St. Louis and want to see a movie, this is the place that should top your list.

When I meet “those veteran teachers” who are a few years too veteran for the good of their students, I wonder how they became that way. I don’t think that someone stays in education more than a few years if they truly don’t feel they have a passion for helping children. But if we assume that everyone starts “good,” what is the systematic problem that is leading to the degradation in the quality of classroom environment? (more…)

I remember trying to explain momentum to a student one day. I described it as pushing a full shopping cart in the grocery store. It’s hard to get started, but easy to keep going. Coming back to the blog is the same way.

The first week back from break was a bit of a mess. Unfortunately there are things that could fill several pages. (more…)