When I had to motivate smart/uninvolved kids, I would play on that very attitude. I'd pull them aside and talk with them "We both know this is boring. We both know you won't need it (even if I thojght they would need it). However, if you do the work, you'll get a good grade, which will make all kinds of other things easier for you. Less nagging from me, for one thing." If the underacheiver was a warm-hearted kid, I might make them a mentor. "You will never need this stuff, but there are kids in the class who will, and I need you to keep your dislike hidden, because you will have an effect on whethjer THEY do the work."

Happy Birthday, Lee!

Congrats on winning the karaoke contest, lisah!

I got nothin' on motivating students from a personal perspective, but I know that my nephew is hoping to avoid having to take any finals this year by getting all As. If that motivates him, yay for bribing!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEE!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PHOENIX!

Gronk.

Congrats on winning the karaoke contest, lisah!

thank you!

I kind of liked Vanessa Williams' feathery dress. It's not something I would have picked for myself but it was fun. Except that it did not fit her well in the bust.

Marcia Cross's dress was way too busy. Jamie Lynn Sigler's dress had random extra stuff on it, and if memory serves Whatsername Bracco's dress looked like it had growths. I prefer fanciness in the form of drape and pleats, myself.

It's not strictly applicable, but I find in my music teaching that a little bit of eyerolling goes a long way. I try to make it where they're in on a joke with me, where they're just playing along with me and doing the work because it's funny and so much more sophisticated than those other kids who are just doing the work normally. They are doing the work as a subversive jab at the ridiculousness of society's requirements.

They'll probably own their own companies, or be freelance consultants, or fix cars.

As someone who has his own company, I'll say with a pretty reasonable degree of authority that it is even more critical that they have really good communication and organization skills. At the beginning you get to do it all yourself, and you'll be directly responsible for every screw-up and success. I may have two art degrees, but I have to understand business, taxes, insurance, writing, etc. etc. etc.

Hamster gone wild! Hamster wheel gone insane! [link]

(10-sec. video)

Of course, it's always the kids who are dead certain they're never going to work in an office -- they're too smart and creative, you see.

Ahahahahahaha, oh god.

Maybe I should tour the country as a cautionary tale to these smart, creative youngsters. Don't let this happen to you.

At new work. No network login, no e-mail, no access to training course. No real idea what to do with my time.

Bad desk, set up so pretty much everyone can see my screen. But lovely view out the window full of trees and squirrels. It doesn't look urban at all, and we're right off a major freeway.