The Doc Is In

Two Week Hiatus

2008-06-25T17:51:20Z

“Leaving on a jet plane, Don’t know when I’ll be back again…” I am leaving for Washington D.C. and the NEA-RA Convention today. I will post about what I learn upon my return. Also, I am helping to hire three new English teachers Read More......(read more)

A Robin Hood Effect

2008-06-25T05:05:26Z

One of my criticisms of NCLB is that it causes too many schools to focus all of their attention on the bottom 25% of a school’s population while ignoring the middle- and upper-level students. Some of the effects of this focus in my school are: fewer Read More......(read more)

Teacher Websites II

2008-06-24T20:29:47Z

This picture is of a sample online calendar using Entourage. Click on it to enlarge it. By the way, the hyperlinks allow people to download the assignment. Read More......(read more)

Teacher Websites

2008-06-24T05:00:32Z

I’m going to advocate that every teacher create (or have someone else create) a website for every class, especially those of you teaching in middle and high schools. I have one, though I won’t link to it because I like my anonymity, but I Read More......(read more)

The Year in Review

2008-06-19T15:04:19Z

I’m such a geek when it comes to teaching. Two weeks after the school year concludes, I’m ready to start again. Since I can’t have a classroom full of students to teach, I go back and revise and adapt my curriculum lessons during July Read More......(read more)

Two Million Minutes

2008-06-17T05:19:49Z

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“Final Exams are Hard”

2008-06-17T04:26:33Z

The title of this post is what a student told me today after he finished his first high school exam. He’s right, if he’s not prepared. Finals can be hard for teachers, too, especially when it sometimes feels as though I’m one of the Read More......(read more)

Heartbreak and Graduation

2008-06-16T03:46:27Z

One of the most intelligent students in my school essentially decided not to graduate with his class. I have worked with him one on one for three years, watched him emerge as a phenomenal poet and thinker, and also observed him sabotage his own successes Read More......(read more)

Graduation

2008-06-14T19:30:27Z

Last night was my school’s commencement ceremony, and it was truly one of the best I’ve attended. The speakers were excellent, the exchange students honored, the 7 valedictorians presented, and the graduates excited but under control. The Read More......(read more)

Student-Led Conferences

2008-06-10T14:18:35Z

Student-Led conferences seem to be the new buzz phrase in my school. We have a small group creating a proposal (though it sounds less like a proposal and more like a done deal), and their conclusion is to redesign conferences into a model where students Read More......(read more)

Is the State Test Needed?

2008-06-09T05:24:05Z

Washington State’s mandatory test, which needs to be passed to receive a diploma, is called the WASL. Recent articles have noted the recent announcement that 91% of the students passed—if you do not count the students who dropped out. By my Read More......(read more)

Handing Out Diplomas

2008-06-06T04:11:58Z

I felt quite honored today to have a few students request that I hand them their diplomas during graduation next week. They are so cute when they ask. Their faces blush a bit; they smile while looking away, and then they ask if I’m going to the Read More......(read more)

2 Weeks of Seniors To Go!

2008-06-04T16:02:13Z

We have two more weeks of school, and I only have two senior students in danger of failing one of my classes. If I can persuade this dynamic duo to attend class, I can get the work out of them, but the key is their attendance. I’m confident they’ll Read More......(read more)

Blogging Today

2008-06-02T02:05:04Z

Is this the future of blogging? Read More......(read more)

Time for Persuasive Speeches

2008-06-01T16:11:28Z

With my Sophomore Honors students, the final unit remaining is the persuasive speech unit. Generally, the students do quite well with these 3-5 minute speeches, and I require the following: three types of sources (i.e. periodical, internet source, survey, Read More......(read more)