For the folks over the age of 40, "hizzy" isn't one of the lost lyrics from the song "Dizzy Miss Lizzy". It's rap slang, and it refers to where you live, or where you are. *Instead of saying "Are any of my friends here tonight?" You might quip "Yo, any of my homies up in da hizzy?"

Now that we got that brief explanation out of the way, onto the story.

In the Union-Tribune yesterday, I read about a teacher in Escondido that raps to his students. My first reaction was to groan. But the more I read, the more I started to like Alex Kajitani. I'm not sure if he goes by that, or if he lets his kids call him by some cool rap name like "Mr. K" or "A-K 47" or who knows what.++

This middle school teacher noticed that students would have rap songs memorized, but had trouble remember the rules of math. He attempted a rap, and was laughed out of the room.

The days that followed, kids said how much they liked it, and wanted him to rap again (not sure if the dude realizes, the kids probably just wanted more fodder for the playground). But they ended up singing his songs and getting better test scores.

Other teachers around the country were soon requesting his songs, and a CD was made. Mr. Kajitani is now in the running for "teacher of the year".

It makes this all a great accomplishment, and a fun story.

I've known some teachers that had a few run-ins with the principal, and I'm just wondering if he'd ever tell the principal "You're the 'man' just trying to keep a teacher down!"

I remember talking to my stepbrother after his 8th year at a school in L.A. He was bothered that students didn't come back and visit, or let him know how they were doing.

I thought about my teachers. Although, I have a better memory than most.

In kindergarten, it was Ms. Danielson. A tall, attractive blonde who played tennis in La Jolla. Never married or had kids, which is a shame. She would've been a great mother.

Mrs. Sylvester was my teacher in 1st or 2nd grade. Can't remember. She got married and her name changed. Third grade I had Mr. Cobb. I said to my friend the first day of school "We should call him 'corn on the cobb'." He gave me an evil look. But he never held it against me. A great teacher with fun stories, a red beard and VW, and a soothing voice.

Mrs. Mandry was a Fillipina, and was always yelling at me. Her breath was a mix of cinnamon, and rotting road kill.

Mrs. Hess was my teacher after that. Another tall blonde. She was generally nice, but once told me I had a dirty neck, and to tell my mom I should take a bath or shower each day. I told my mom, who noticed it was just skin peeling from my tan. The principal once came in and told us she had a miscarriage, and we weren't to ask about her baby. That freaked most of us out for awhile, and we weren't sure what to say to her about anything.

Mr. Mankins, my 6th grade teacher. He told me my cartoons and captions were amazing and that I'd have a career doing that (I wish he could tell the New Yorker, which never picks mine). He told me he had never met anyone that loved basketball as much as I (I didn't tell him I slept with the first basketball given to me in 2nd grade). We were so happy to get him, and not Mr. Patterson, who was a former Marine drill sergaent, and often yelled at kids (and once poked me in the chest so hard, I got bruised).

Mr. Mankins was the stepfather of one of the children murdered in Mira Mesa, with the killer that carjacked them at Jack in the Box. It took 18 years for them to execute the killer.

After that, you go to a different teacher for the six periods a day. And I remember so many of the great ones.

And I did go back and visit my elementary school teachers at Hickman Elementary in Mira Mesa+++

Never my high school teachers, though. Mainly because I thought there was something creepy about going back to the campus, like Mathew McConaugheys character in "Dazed & Confused" looking for high school girls.

Or, the fear they wouldn't remember me, with the large volume of students they had each day (and each year). But I remember most of them.

And, I like to think my high school journalism teacher Mrs. Emery is out there (she retired years ago...but I see her husband, who is a local politician, in the paper often)....I just hope she doesn't cringe at some of the crap I write. *

sorry if this is deemed racist and offensive to Pete.

++ local musician Astra Kelly and I were emailing about something, and she asked me about names for her band. I suggested a bunch, one being AK and the 47s, which she now uses. Sorry, I wanted some props there.

+++ gotta give 'shout outs' to my old school.