Baseball Hall of Fame Rant

On Wednesday January 9th 2013, The Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted absolutely no one into the Hall of Fame for 2013.
It was the first time since 1996  that the writers elected no one in.
Some of the people on the list were not voted on by the voters due to substance abuse, such as steroids. Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Rafeael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire are big names that were mentioned in official reports for steroid-use like the Mitchell Report.

I am upset because I think that there were players who earned the Hall of Fame and who were are not at all associated with substance abuse, yet they also were excluded this year.  Craig Biggio,Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell specially, in my mind, had amazing careers, Hall of Fame worthy, but this year they did not get in.

Maybe in the next few years they will get in. And I am probably making a big deal out of nothings, since many if not all of those mentioned in this post will get in the Hall, just not this year. The honest truth is that we will never really ever know who did and who did not use steroids or any other substances.
And the truth also is that these people, their history, records and their substance abuse is all a part of history. We cannot change it now, but we sure as heck better remember it.
Also, in my own mind, there will always be something new that the MLB will have to find and remove, players will always find the new (undetected advantage) whether it is substances and supplements or anything else, to help them be the best players they can be.

Part of me was just upset to see this elitist group of privileged writer sobs, put their noses in the air and say “NO.” It is weird that they are still an electoral power in this modern age….why can’t the fans, media and players have any say about who gets into the Hall?

What I am Currently Loving about Substitute Teaching

What I love about substitute teaching is that everyday I have a chance to make an impact.
Last year was my first year as a sub. Last year was a lot different for me than this year. Last year, was a learning experience and I was drained daily. I enjoyed doing the job but it was more of a job. This year, I have come to a new perspective. It is not just a job that I love but every day is a unique opportunity to make an impact. 

Everyday is really all to my advantage. I get to leave the classroom and go home when the day is done. The kids have to keep coming back to the same culture, environment and teacher(s) day-to-day, everyday.  I may not ever see those particular kids again and I may get to see them several times in the next month.  
So you can imagine the opportunity to make an impact on these kids. If I can make a few of them smile, laugh or simply enjoy a fun break from norm, then I feel like I have had some success. Trust me, we get things done too but school can be fun too.

The truth about substitute teaching is that we don’t really get to teach much. Teachers do not often leave us many teaching tasks, which seems ironic. And for the most part, the stereotypes can be true…subs come into a situation where the students want to test the waters and get as close to the line as possible. I have learned to be firm, strong and establish rules and respect early on in the day. Last year, I was too fun and personable without first establishing respect and it was difficult. This year, I come in hard and establish respect first, then it is fun to be able to be more personable with students who are respectful to me also. If they are not respectful to me, I can be a commander and make the day, not as fun.

 This year has been a lot more fun, easier and smoother for me, simply because of this respect factor. In fact, I even miss some of those kids, I think of them as “my kids” but I am obviously not their full time teacher or anything, it is just those neat connections, you get to make.  It is amazing how just a few riddles, funny jokes, pieces of candy and/or coloring activities can save a boring day.