Books — Scheiss Weekly

Potty Mouth, Wiggly Little Boys, Recess, and Reading

June 27, 2011 – 12:05 am

“No two people are alike, and both of them are damn glad of it.” Mamacita says: That’s a quotation; that’s not me saying “damn,” although I frequently occasionally do. I am, to my shame, greatly afflicted with “potty mouth,” and although I managed to control it somewhat while my children were tiny, it’s back, in [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in children, Education, fools, Harry Potter, It's Outrageous!, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, memories, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, opinions, Scheiss Weekly, schools, teachers, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know, Uncategorized, work ethic | Comments (4)

Quotation Saturday, on Sunday: Mothers

May 8, 2011 – 12:05 am

Mamacita says: This Sunday will be, appropriately enough, a day filled with mothers. Mine, my sisters, my niece, grandmothers, aunts, daughters, cousins, me. . . . all mothers, and several of them more than one KIND of mother. (no, not THAT kind of mother. Perhaps you were thinking of YOUR family?) Many mothers. Once upon [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in children, Christmas, Education, Family, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, love, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Memes, memories, My daughter, My son, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, opinions, parenting, Quotation Saturday, Scheiss Weekly, The real Mamacita, The Things We Do For Love, Traditions, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

April is Poetry Month: W.H. Auden

April 7, 2011 – 1:30 am

W.H. Auden Mamacita says: If you have seen the movie “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” you are already familiar with W.H. Auden. His haunting and heartbreaking “Funeral Blues” was recited by John Hannah in this film, and it was unforgettable. Funeral Blues Stop all the clocks; cut off the telephone; Prevent the dog from barking [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in April is poetry month, Arts, death, descriptive language, Education, English, figurative language, grief, heartbreak, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Literature, love, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, memories, Not the imitation Mamacita, poems, poetry, Poetry Month, rhyme scheme, Scheiss Weekly, The Arts, The real Mamacita, writing | Comments (3)

April is Poetry Month: Conrad Aiken

April 5, 2011 – 2:46 am

Conrad Aiken Bread and Music Music I heard with you was more than music, And bread I broke with you was more than bread. Now that I am without you, all is desolate; All that was once so beautiful is dead. Your hands once touched this table and this silver, And I have seen your [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in April is poetry month, death, descriptive language, Education, English, figurative language, grief, heartbreak, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Literature, love, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, poems, poetry, Poetry Month, rhyme scheme, Scheiss Weekly, The Arts, The real Mamacita, writing | Comments (1)

Too Much Discussion Makes Me Think, and We Can’t Have That!

February 6, 2011 – 12:10 am

This post is dedicated to Bitchie Lou, a student from a few years ago whose babyish behavior, constant whining, and terrible manners have earned her the title of “Worst Student I’ve Ever Had, So Far.” This is not a title I want to ever have to bestow again, so don’t get any ideas, students dear. [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Censorship, Education, etiquette, fools, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Lessons learned, Linguistics, Literature, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, memories, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, Political Correctness, Scheiss Weekly, schools, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know | Comments (5)

The Value of Continual Learning

January 26, 2011 – 12:05 am

Mamacita says: When it comes to education, I can be quite opinionated. No, really. I’ll debate with you about all things educational, and you might as well be prepared to back down at least a little bit because I probably won’t. Not unless you’ve got a shiPload of experience to back yourself up. Families that [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, Education Buzz, Family, fools, It's Outrageous!, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Lessons learned, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, parenting, Political Correctness, Scheiss Weekly, schools, science, teachers, teenagers, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know, Uncategorized, work ethic, writing | Comments (1)

People With Small Vocabularies Also Have Small. . . . Brains. *

January 16, 2011 – 4:01 am

I can’t help but wonder if all this brouhaha about dumbing down the vocabulary in classic literature right now has at least part of its origin in the sad fact that many of our parents and teachers can’t understand the big words. This isn’t funny; it’s unforgiveable. The more words we know, the better able [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Censorship, children, Education, fools, grammar, It's Outrageous!, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Lessons learned, Linguistics, Literature, love, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, parenting, Political Correctness, Scheiss Weekly, teachers, The Arts, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know, writing | Comments (4)

Did you learn anything interesting today?

January 3, 2011 – 12:05 am

Mamacita says: This is five years old, but it’s still a good random sample of my day. Remember, helping students make connections is my “thing,” but it helps when they have something to connect things to. Sometimes I think a good combination of personalities can find connections among/between almost anything. This is wonderful, by the [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, English, grammar, Humor, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Literature, love, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, memories, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, Scheiss Weekly, teachers, teenagers, The real Mamacita, Uncategorized | Comments (2)

Science Fiction and Christmas and Stars, Oh My

December 13, 2010 – 1:57 am

Mamacita says: I love a good short story, but exactly what is a short story? Is it a short story because it’s always short? Surprisingly, no. It’s a short story because it has only one main plotline and set of characters. However, most short stories are pretty short. One of my college professors told us [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Censorship, children, Christmas, Education, English, fools, holidays, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Lessons learned, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Not the imitation Mamacita, religion, Scheiss Weekly, schools, The real Mamacita, writing | Comments (3)

Parents and Education and Self Esteem, Oh My

November 1, 2010 – 10:15 pm

Mamacita says: Oh please, society, let us learn from the past, just a little bit? “Francie thought it was the most beautiful church in Brooklyn. It was made of old gray stone and had twin spires that rose cleanly into the sky, high above the tallest tenements. Inside, the high vaulted ceilings, narrow deepset stained-glass [...]