A poem about fathers, sons, and expecatations: "Like Him" by Aaron Smith

I subscribe to The Academy of American Poets' Poets.org "poem-a-day," and today's poem really grabbed me.  I'm not a boy, but the speaker's feelings about his father and his expectations made me think a lot about my own parents and my kids.  

Poet Aaron Smith had this to say about his poem: "I thought I would be less interested in writing from the perspective of a son about his parents as I approached forty.  I'm finding that's all I seem to think about.  This older speaker seems more aware of (and more willing to talk about) the tricky spaces that exist between father and sons.  It's also a poem about the expectations of men in culture and what failing to live up to those mean."

The shift in the last few lines of the poem...read it and see if your feelings about the speaker change like mine did.  Who's the "good guy" and who's the "bad guy?"  Is there one?

Should high school last SIX years?

Brooklyn P-Tech is the U.S.'s first  6-year high school + college combo, and President Obama recently visited and praised this model of education.

According to P-Tech's website, students in this New York City school that partners with IBM will enter as 9th graders and graduate after "grade 14" with an Associate's Degree and and will be "first in line" for a job with IBM.

Should high school last 6 years?  Read several expert opinions on The New York Times's Room for Debate page.

Comments encouraged below!

The Myth of 'I'm Bad at Math'

Have you heard people say "I'm bad at math?"  Or do you say it about yourself?  This article from The Atlantic argues against that myth.

Read on, and then leave comments below, including your first and last name!

Can we take down the "I'm bad at math!" myth at Northview?

Hooray!! Allegiant is coming out next Tuesday!

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