Musings from a Not-So-Master Teacher

a few more conversations with my sons

2010-03-14T22:11:00Z

Joel says, "I want my compass to talk." "It's impossible." "But you said it tells you where to go, daddy." "What I meant is that you can read it." "But I need it to talk to me in case I'm lost in the forest." "Joel, if you're ever in the forest, you know Read More......(read more)

my new book is available

2010-03-13T14:33:00Z

Order on Amazon.com: $4.99 My new book Teaching Unmasked is available in the following formats right now: As a free eBook (you can download the PDF file) On Kindle for $1.00 In Print for $4.99 On a blog (within the next few days) As a free audio book Read More......(read more)

the perils of being a moderate

2010-03-12T17:20:00Z

My left-wing progressive friends feel disenchanted with Obama. The slogans of hope and change have run dry and they're confused by a president who has failed to pass health care reform, continues to pursue war and has bailed-out large corporations rather Read More......(read more)

guest blogger Bruce W. on pay-for-performance

2010-03-11T16:55:00Z

by Bruce W. (aka Bat Dude) Historians debate the emergence of superheroes as a dominant force for social justice. Some argue that the original superheroes were the saints (think folks on candles and not football players). The capes were originally monastic Read More......(read more)

Drive - book review - part one

2010-03-10T16:13:00Z

I'm currently on Chapter Four of Daniel Pink's book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us . I've been participating in a book study group with the Nerdfighteria Misfits. Here are my thoughts thus far: Somewhere in my freshmen year of college, Read More......(read more)

turning thirty

2010-03-10T12:44:00Z

If I was a verb tense, I'd be a past progressive, present imperfect and yearning for a future perfect. I'm thirty today. It feels like a milestone, but I'll celebrate it quietly. I'll probably splurge a little and go to Starbucks and then spend the day Read More......(read more)

why did you block my pen pal network?

2010-03-09T23:41:00Z

"Hey, I double-checked everything ahead of time for the professional development and you know what I saw?" I ask the district Administrator of Safety and Security. "Clearly I do not. I have no psychic powers," he responds. "The pen pal networks are all Read More......(read more)

redefining math literacy

2010-03-08T22:55:00Z

It's my fifth year of teaching and I have a math intervention class. The term intervention sounds really serious, as if we're bringing in a team of family members to confront a child on drug addiction. Apparently, it's less severe - some kids aren't getting Read More......(read more)

uprooting root words: a post about economics

2010-03-07T12:29:00Z

It's a good thing no one really takes serious the call to "consider the trees" "Is eco a root word or a prefix?" an ELL student asks me (ELL stands for English Language Learner, which is a bit of a misnomer, because we're all learning English) "I think Read More......(read more)

what I can learn from early elementary teachers

2010-03-06T13:50:00Z

I once sat in a meeting full of early elementary education teachers. It was a bizarre location, filled with bubbly talks of picture books and peppered with Pamper Chef party invitations. The speaker said, straight-faced, "Lee Canter is great and I recommend Read More......(read more)

a post about seeds

2010-03-06T12:50:00Z

I ask my brother-in-law about the vocational education program he is running. "I hate the word program. It's a word for machines, like we're programming kids. I'm not sure what's better. Venture sounds like a business word and project isn't much better Read More......(read more)

narrowcast nation

2010-03-06T03:08:00Z

We have a substitute teacher who showed up wearing a shirt with paisleys and donning a permed mullet. A student asked him, "Are you a fan of Hall and Oates?" "Hall and Oates rock!" he answered. The student began to sing an impromptu version of "You Make Read More......(read more)

Meet Ed Helper

2010-03-04T13:43:00Z

The principal pulls me aside and says, "Hey Techno-Tommy, we have this new aid who will be going to your class. He's an excellent resource. His name is Ed Helper. Nice guy. You'll enjoy working with him." He's nice and he's pleasant and I don't doubt Read More......(read more)

a Trojan Horse?

2010-03-04T11:51:00Z

It's no secret that William McKinley wants to "civilize and Christianize" the Phillipinnes. I have a hunch that it has to do with stategic military positions and imperialism, but then again I'm a bit of a cynic. In my own class, I have a decent number Read More......(read more)

climb to the top

2010-03-03T04:40:00Z

Once upon a time in the Monkey Kingdom, a report came out about how poorly young monkeys were faring in the climbing tests in comparison to the rest of the world. Alarmed by these trends, people were scared and angry. Groups formed, demanding a return Read More......(read more)