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As far as instruction... blah... we started a unit on the Constitution and I was able to get halfway through explaining the PREAMBLE. At this rate, we won't even get to the Bill of Rights. (I've included links for my foreign readership - this blog has become a truly international entity!)

The biggest news item for my kids for the day was that Houston rapper Big Hawk was shot on the night of 5/1. Evidently, he'd arrived at a friend's house that evening before his friend arrived, walked to the side of the house, and someone busted a series of caps. "Why would anybody want to kill Big Hawk?" I asked. I have fond memories of listening to clips from Hawk's Bad Azz Mix Tape II with some of my students during my first year teaching. I really enjoyed this clip from this song called Go. You can listen to the clip by clicking here. I'd recommend it to anyone because it's real short. I can't pull up the lyrics online because it's pretty underground, but some memorable quotes from the clip were

To whom it may concern, [N-WORD] it's my turn, you boys gone learn, when Hawk spit it's burn baby burn...Im'a wreck your flow, Checkmate ho, and "X" you out like tic-tac-toe... I send one through your afro... surrender, ho, I'm a gladiator, bitch, like Russell Crowe... and the object of the game IS TO GET THAT DOUGH!!!

Anyway, y'all get the point. It's kind of catchy, although not all of my readers will agree with me more than likely. I actually used that last part when I'd teach economics, sometimes saying, "The object of the game..." and my kids would finish, "IS TO GET THAT DOUGH!!!" I have such fond memories of my early days of teaching, and I'm sure I will have fond memories of this year in the future (and have made many, already).

The funniest part of this whole Hawk incident is that my kids came in talking about how he had been shot, but I really know more about Hawk than any of the kids in my class. When I asked, "Did someone send one through his afro?" They didn't even know what I was talking about. He was evidently too underground while he was alive and once rap radio announces his death, all the sudden there's a Kurt syndrome (except that Hawk will be forgotten within the week). If only we could get rap radio to cover other current events that are more pertinent to our society, then my kids would be culturally literate. That would be great if I didn't get just a series of blank expressions when I mention big news like the May Day Immigration Protests.

Well, regardless of my kids' cultural literacy, you will be sorely missed, Big Hawk. Like Russell Crowe's Maximus, you have met an untimely death at the hands of a cowardly enemy. Next time I drink a 40, I'll pour a little of it out for you, my boy!