Body Decorations: Yay or Nay?

     What if you walked into your first day of college classes and saw that your professor represented more of a heavy metal band member than a teacher? He had an eyebrow ring, a bull hook through his nostrils, and a tongue ring that he frequently banged on his teeth for his own entertainment. You can't tell exactly which race he is considering every inch of skin is covered in tattoos. Although this scenario is completely unrealistic and very far-fetched, students come across teachers every day that have piercings and tattoos. I'm interested to know what kids think when they notice their teacher has some extra decoration.     
     Throughout my school years, I've had teachers with nose rings, visible tattoos, and the occasional few who still dress as if they were teenagers. Personally, I am slightly bothered by this. Since our school is public, I feel teachers have more leeway with how they dress and present themselves. I am the type of person who can tell when teachers get a new hair cut or went on a shopping spree that weekend, so when I see a teacher with a nose ring for example; my eye is immediately drawn to it. I find nose rings very distracting. I feel students are drawn to look at nose rings because it’s not something you see very often. Furthermore, I find it somewhat inappropriate for teachers to have visible tattoos. A few weeks ago, my teacher (I won't name names) scratched his back, revealing a tattoo on his bicep. I could tell everyone in the class had seen it by the gasps they quietly made and their facial expressions. I felt kind of uncomfortable honestly. Truthfully, it was weird to see something that I feel should be kept private. In my opinion, I feel teachers should be prohibited from having tattoos, piercings, or wearing clothing that is unprofessional.  
     What do you think? I'm interested to know other students' opinion on this. Do you respect a teacher less if they have a tattoo or piercing? Do you find them to be more on a friendship level than a professional level? Do you think its inappropriate and professional workers should not be allowed to have their tattoos and piercings visible?

Blogger Brainstorm

     When Ms. Serensky announced a new class project, I was very skeptical. I thought this blogger assignment would be just another homework assignment piling up in my planner. Yet, after completing a quarter of blogging, I have both good and bad things to say about it. I like this assignment because it has allowed me to write about what I WANT to write about. There is no essay prompt, no annotating sentences, and my absolute favorite: no active voice. This creative freedom has been a relief for me. Furthermore, I really like reading other people's blogs because they many make me smile or laugh. I have learned a lot about my classmates through blogger. Truthfully, blogger is only fun when I can think about something to write about. When I have a good idea for a blog I can't wait to write it down. But sometimes, I will sit and stare at the blank text box for what feels like hours. I know when writing exactly which posts will go into Bobbie's Blog Banter and which ones will not. I don't like writing about stupid, pointless things so it frustrates me when I can't think of something creative to blog about. i also sometimes feel sad when no one comments on my blog. I try to comment on different people's blogs every time so I can make people feel good about their writing. If I could have made a change it would be that you cannot comment on the same person's blog more than twice. All in all, I really cannot decide whether or not we should keep blogging. I feel like I would be okay with it either way (Note: this is an unusual feeling for me because I am very picky and opinionated.)

Tune In

     Over the past few days in English class, I have heard bits and pieces of songs such as "Thriller" and "Hello, Again." I look around the room and see all of my fellow students either staring off into space or with their heads down looking at the floor. I am not sure whether to dance, sing along, or bop my head to the rhythm of the music. Sometimes I want to just get up and start dancing to make myself feel less awkward, but I know that would end horribly. Off of this note, I have decided to make an AP English 12 playlist which I feel reflects our classroom and English class as a whole. I hope you enjoy!

1. Don't Let Me Fall- B.O.B
*AP English 12 students help each other out when times are tough. We encourage one another to work hard and always lend a helping hand.
2. I Feel Good-James Brown
*This song should be played immediately after turning in a data sheet!
3. Tubthumping-Chumbawamba
*This song goes out to every student who has ever received a 4 or below on their papers. Don't give up! "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down."
4. Bossy-Kelis
*I dedicate this song to Ms. Serensky. "You don't have to love me. You don't even have to like me. But you will respect me..You know why? 'Cause I'm THE BOSS."
5. Big Girls Don't Cry-Fergie
*This is dedicated to every girl in AP English 12 who feels like they might start crying after a bad grade or a horrible discussion.
6. I Will Survive-Gloria Gaynor
This song brings back memories from AP English 11. "At first I was afraid. I was petrified."
7. Breathe, Stretch, Shake-Mase
*Think of this song before we write an in-class essay or take the AP test. We all need to “breathe, stretch, shake and let it go.”
8. We're all in this Together-High School Musical
*Cheesy, but true.
9. Stronger-Kanye West
*AP English has made me so much smarter and stronger than I ever thought possible. I think many students can agree with me on this one.
10. Remember the Name-Fort Minor
*Ms. Serensky-Never forget the Class of 2011!

Brainwashed by a Crazy

     I have never been more excited for English class than I have in the past three days. Shutter Island is my absolute favorite movie of all time! I think it is so thought out and extremely brilliant. I remember the first time I saw the movie I was completely lost. I had no idea the significance of Teddy Daniels’ flashbacks or why he always saw hallucinations of his wife with a little girl. When the doctor revealed that Teddy Daniels was in fact Andrew Laidus, I did not believe it for a second. I had my mind set on the fact that they were just trying to brainwash him. I thought it was out of sheer coincidence that the name Edward Daniels spells Andrew Laidus and that Rachel Solando spells Doloroes Chanal. I was rooting for Teddy to kill the doctors and free all the patients who suffered. I remember looking next to me at my friend in the theaters and saying, “This is all just part of their evil plan.” It wasn’t until the end of the movie when the doctors say it didn’t work and he goes back to calling Dr. Sheehan “boss” that I believed what they said was true. I think it is amazing how the producers get into your mind to make you believe the crazy person. This factor really relates to One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I believe one of Kesey’s purposes in writing this novel was to show people that the outside world is just as crazy as the inside world (the insane). Shutter Island makes viewers believe that the patients are not really insane, that the people from the outside world perform surgeries on normal people to make them crazy. Both the film and the novel suggest parallels to show that the “sane” are just as crazy as the “insane.”

Baby Bobbie Meets Miss Trunchbull

     Over this relaxing winter break I seem to have watched a ton of movies that somehow or another relate to AP English. I decided to watch one of my all-time favorites last night: Matilda. We have talked about this movie in class and Ms. Serensky said she has never seen it. For those of you like Ms. Serensky who have never seen this brilliant film I will summarize it a bit for you. Matilda is a young girl who lives with her mom, dad, and brother. They ignore her and belittle her every chance they get. Matilda loves to read and is at a very advanced level for her age. Her teacher, Miss Honey, notices Matilda's intelligence. However, she does not know that Matilda has super powers. Matilda puts her powers to use in order to get back at the mean, horrid principal of her school: Miss Trunchbull.
     I am still waiting for the day for Ms. Serensky to tell us "why she is the way she is." I imagine her having an experience similar to Matilda's with Miss Trunchbull minus the superpowers of course. In the movie, Miss Trunchbull makes all the teacher's rooms as dismal and boring as possible. There can be no fun or laughter in the rooms, the blinds must always be pulled down, and the children should be as miserable as possible.
     I imagine little Bobbie Jo with her hot pink backpack and hair in high pigtails walking into her third grade class. Her teacher is no other than a woman similar to Miss Trunchbull. Bobbie Jo pulls out her summer reading assignment: Moby Dick. She did not understand much of the story at all. The teacher proceeded to walk around the room and check to make sure the students marked their books up. Of course baby Bobbie had no idea she must always have a pen while reading. Her teacher put her in the chockee (a small box filled with daggers) for the next hour. Over the next months, baby Bobbie learned how to anotate books, the proper format of a SOAPSTone, and to only write in blue or black ink. By the time she hit fourth grade, the brilliant baby Bobbie could have easily scored a 5 on the AP English 11 test. Even though she pulled countless all-nighters and went through a pack of black pens a month, she learned an abundance of knowlege from her own Miss Trunchbull that she teaches to her little babies today.