American Idol They're NOT

So today my students had to recite the Preamble of the Constitution to me. For the past two weeks, we've been watching the Preamble clip from School House Rock (for them, it's been about seven times in two weeks- for me, it's been about twenty-eight times in two weeks but who's counting....) so they should know it. They received twenty points for reciting it and forty points if they sang it to the tune of the School House Rock clip. Each mistake was minus one point and if they really crapped it up, it was pretty much like two points for "trying".

So let me just say right off, American Idol they're NOT. Actually, there were a few who could actually hold some semblance of a key. There was one girl who gave a little bit of "vibrato", which was interesting. But in general, they were the most horrendous singers ever! I could barely hold it in. There was one guy who started in so high of a key that I am incredibly impressed that he was able to hit those high notes. Oh, and then those poor boys who were going through puberty.... oh man was that a crack up!

My favorite part of the day was those kids who whined and moaned, "But I don't know it.... I can't do it.... i only remember the first part...... wah, wah, wah, wah, wah." They were forced to go up to the front anyway and oh course, with only a little bit of prompting, did they pretty much get the entire thing. And they were so incredibly proud when they were able to get it. And all I could say was "I told you so!" Except this one girl, she didn't even try and I got so pissed off with her that I gave her two weeks detention on top of the zero. This girl pisses me off anyway. She's failing because she does absolutely nothing, she doesn't stay after school when I ask her to so she can get her assignments, she takes absolutely no responsibility for her work or her education so if she's going to waste my time, I'm going to keep her after school and take her time. Maybe in those two weeks she can make up all the work that she's missing in my class. I'm kidding- it'll take two months.

Simon Cowell-- watch out if any of my students come onto your show....