I returned this afternoon from two days at football camp coaching some of the greatest kids a person could ever work with. I realized that I had not written here for a few days, so, while I have no real idea what I am going to write, I feel I should. In fact, write something. Therefore, this post may truly live up to the blog title.
This morning, during my morning reading time, I came across an article posted on Facebook that focused on the use of adverbs and adjectives to introduce sentences, word and phrases such as Interestingly, most interesting, most striking, and most strikingly. I read the article, and after completing the piece, two major thought crossed my mind: one, language, especially, the English language, is a tremendously interesting subject, and, two, I am a nerd. Language is an incredible tool, and every situation and setting uses language differently, but in some common manner. I see a wide variety of those situations and experience the language demanded and enjoyed in those circumstances. I spend my time around fellow teachers, football coaches, and painters, among others. Many of them fill several of those roles at once. One, like me, holds the rare trifecta of Egnlish teacher, football coach, and part-time painter. This is also the same individual who, when approached by a young lady in McDonald's who just wanted to sell us some high quality books to help her earn money for college (that is another topic for down the road), responded, "I don't read." Actually, I believe, it was "I don't read, I don't like books, and you don't want to talk to me." "I don't read" is not the comment you would expect from an English teacher, not even one who coaches football. For the record, the comment was untrue, but it was pleasantly effective.
Throughout my 20 years as a teacher and a coach, I have received numerous questioning stares, doubtful sighs, and outright disrespectful scoffs from people who hear I teach English, read, write, and coach football. Why does that happen? Football is one of the most cerebral games men play. Lombardi was once approached by both the Democratic and Republican parties about possbily running on their tickets as a vice-presidental candidate. My college football coach was a double major in college, math and PE. The list of examples is long, impressive, and distinguished. Stereotyping anyone is rude at best, and dangerous at worst. Looking at the English team that I am a member of should shatter preconceptions about the nerds that teach English. The examples I give are incomplete, for each one of these people possesses depth and range of character that cannot be summed up in single sentences, but they are boiled-down examples that are supposed to prove my point. So, back off. One well-read scholar holds an advanced degree and has been known to fill the seat of an over the road truckdriver. Another has served as a newspaper editor and has proven as willing as any person I have met to attack new risks not as obstacles but as opportunites, all the while exploring the zombie apocalyse genre with a keen eye. One young lady, a former college cheerleader, aspires to become a college literature professor and can (and will) outshoot most men with a pistol. One English teacher, a young mom, is an avd and sometimes rabid NASCAR fan. Another talented young woman leaves her classroom, where she challenges her advanced students to by pushing them intellectually, driving them to write more and better than they think they are capable of, and straddles her Harley-Davidson for a pleasant ride home. I even have a fellow football coach on the hall, one who, gasp, reads and writes well and passes that passion on to his students.. So, yeah, we are just a bunch of nerdy English teachers. I am truly glad to be a member of that group.
What was the other idea? Oh, English is increibly interesting. Yes. Language is cool. I believe I will hold on to that idea for later. I have practice film to watch, and there is a book I want to start reading.
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