Meine Klein Welt

My Neck Friend

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Neck FriendSo my fever finally broke, but now my head is congested and my throat is raw. School was actually called off on Friday because too many teachers and students are sick.

In true Austrian fashion I looked for a tea to treat my throat and came across Halsfreund. Literally “Neck Friend.” So I thought, my neck needs all the friends it can get right now. And believe it or not, this is probably something similar to what I would have come home with if I’d actually gone to see a doctor. Well, that, maybe some form of Alka-Seltzer, and some scolding about not wearing my scarf more often.

Yes, my scarf. Austrians have this reverence for scarves that I find humorous and frightening at the same time. Cold air on the neck is a sure recipe for sickness and scarves keep your neck warm and your health up. Germs? Anybody?

So now I have two Halsfreunden: my scarf and my tea.

Geeks ‘R Us

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pocket protectorQuestion to my AP Computer Science class:

“Guess what I bought us today?”

Actual Student Answer:

“Pocket protectors?”

Making kids nerdier. That’s what I do everyday, here at VCS.

(Just for the record, I didn’t actually buy them pocket protectors, but I do think it’s a good idea).

Kids These Days…

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For the last week or so, I’ve been talking in my classes about Internet safety in light of some recent backlash against MySpace. There are quite a few cases now of kids meeting people on MySpace and being abducted, molested, raped, and even murdered. To be fair, MySpace isn’t the only medium for this time of abuse, just the current favorite. It is very easy to make friends on the Internet, and you never really know who you’re talking to. In any case, it has provided for some good class discussions, and I hope also raised the awareness level of my students.

At the end of our discussion today, one of my students suddenly looked puzzled, then asked, “What if a kidnapper pretending to be a teenage boy agreed to meet a kidnapper pretending to be a teenage girl in person? What would happen then?”

Hmmm…

Filed Under: VCS

Things we love about Mr. Klein

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HeartIt’s always nice to know you’re loved, even if it is by a bunch of freshmen and middle schoolers. I received many baseball valentines(see below), and here is a smattering of reasons why my students (claim to) love me:

1. He tells us about his cat every time he turns on the projector. (I have a picture of my former cat eating a lizard as my background).

2. He tells cheesy jokes.

3. He asks us to guess what he ate last night for dinner.

4. He has cool orange/red hair

5. He’s such a cute geek!

6. He is the smartest, funniest and coolest teacher in computer class.

7. He gives me A’s.

8. I can always use the computer after school and he’s fun to hang out with.

9. He is nice.

10. He lets me pass Computers even though I don’t listen.

Filed Under: VCS

10 Ways to Show Mr. Klein You Love Him

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HeartOne of my friends at school put up a list in my room to help my students show their appreciation for me on Valentine’s Day. Here’s the list in no particular order:

  • Buy him something sweet from the Senior Store
  • Chase him down the hall to help him train for the marathon
  • Give him food – any kind – he’s not picky
  • Write a poem about him (Bonus points for using similies or metaphors to compare him to computers)
  • Recite the Phillies starting lineup in alphabetical order
  • Tell him 5 things he does that make you smile
  • Snort everytime hes say the words “computer” or “technology”
  • Write a note on one of the [provided] baseballs and place it in the heart [on the wall].
  • Raise your hand. When called on say, “I love you.”
  • Explain to him why the term “Fighting Quaker” is an oxymoron.

Filed Under: VCS