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"The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things..."
February 2008 - Posts
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My mythology students have their first unit test tomorrow. I think they are ready since we reviewed quite a bit with puzzles and a game, I expect at least a B average. It makes me a little anxious no matter how they do.
When the seniors ace the first Read More...
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I work with the Academic Teams at my high school, and we had a semifinal match in a quiz bowl event today and we had a fortuitous coincidence today.
Each day I put a “Useless Factoid” on the board for my students. Today’s was, “A Read More...
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After reading a post by Mrs. Chili regarding the griping of her students when being held accountable for learning, I do have to admit a bit of frustration with one of my classes. Only 19 of my 32 American Literature students bothered to turn in a one-paragraph Read More...
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I read an article today in the Washington Post which details how some teachers’ contracts are “restrictive” when districts want to pay teachers more or when districts wish to dictate in which schools teachers teach.
As my student in Read More...
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I just love top ten lists, awards shows, and the greatest of collections. There’s just something about awards shows that compel me to watch; tonight’s Oscars are no exception. I write this as I watch the best and brightest of the year receive Read More...
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I have been out of the building two days this week and have basketball this weekend. I’ll have to post again this Sunday.
As I tell my students, “Do something fun this weekend!” Read More...
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I love allusions. They’re one of the numerous reasons why I love language and the language arts. The other day I came across a great one, and I wondered how many people would catch the allusion. I laughed out loud and got a few looks of bewilderment Read More...
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A recent article explains how MySpace and Facebook postings are being used for discipline in schools. At my school the same thing occurs on a limited basis.
One problem we are seeing is that students will post pictures of athletic code violations. Often, Read More...
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The district agreed to help us bring down class sizes for freshmen and sophomores from 31-32 to 28, which would be great. This would mean a lowering of students per day of 15-20 students for some of the English teachers. 140 students a day sounds much Read More...
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I use a lesson format I call the fish bowl. Really, it’s a modified Socratic Seminar except that every student is not required to be an active speaking participant.
I have 8-9 students circle up in the middle of the room with their notebooks and Read More...
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A while ago an administrator approached me, since I am on the union Exec. Board, about whether or not a teacher dress code is warranted. I simply said “no” and would not really entertain the notion knowing that the teachers would not wish Read More...
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I am very excited to teach The Tragedy of Julius Caesar this week. I love this play!
We finished up quite a bit of historical context last week and will begin Act I on Wednesday. The opening scene is so dense introducing some of the play’s major Read More...
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During an assembly last week a high school student threw a pencil at the back of a teacher’s head but missed. The student had just received news he didn’t like and chucked the pencil. The vice-principal removed him from this teacher’s Read More...
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Eureka! I created a way to keep my bulletin boards changing frequently without increasing my workload. I know it’s not rocket science or a monumental unearthing of educational knowledge, but I got the students to do the work.
I copied off a lengthy Read More...
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Are seniors in high school overworked? Too stressed out? Should we go easy on them? Do colleges really care what kind of workload seniors take during their final semester in high school?
Jay Mathews, in an article in the USA Today, tells seniors
“…why Read More...
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On the radio as I drove through heavy snows last night, the following statistic was presented:
The #1 day for TV sales in the United States is the day after Thanksgiving, and the #2 day is the day before the Super Bowl.
My first thought was “I could Read More...
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