I somehow thought this week would be any EASY week, I was wrong! My students are jumping off the walls. I don’t know how to go about reviewing and not get a headache. I am an interactive reviewer and we have been playing loads and loads of games, but it doesn’t cut [...]

The infodoodads blog recently had a post about ''Read the Words,'' which is a relatively new free text to speech program. You can see the blog post at http://infodoodads.com/?p=373 You can also check out the Read the Words website at http://readthewords.com/ The Read the Words website states, ''ReadTheWords.com began as a simple concept in ...

I am too sick to answer a question tonight.  I started feeling bad in 5th period, today . . . (sinus and allergy troubles)  The kids could tell I was feeling bad, however, they still tried to convice me that a “class nap” was in order.  Students told me how to fake being awake when I’m [...]

Have you seen the Guide to Online Resources in Library and Information Science from the Library of Congress? Check it out at http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/libsci/ The site says, ''This guide is intended for individuals without ready access to print resources and subscription databases in the field of library and information science. It ...

I am so excited to answer the next two questions simply because the come from Frumteacher! She always asks me questions about my classroom practice-I’m no expert, btw. It’s all trial and error. . . .a lot of error. But her questions often provoke me to take a deeper look at my classroom or teaching [...]

My good friend sent me this link via email & another friend and I discussed it over lunch. My questions are: What do we say when a student invades our personal space? Did her statement really “trigger” the student to act? If it did trigger the student, still how is this the teacher’s fault? Why didn’t the ...

I taught the Protestant Reformation this week. During the lecture/notes portion, I was explaining about the sale of indulgences, simony & other church corruptions. I paused to discuss with the students, asking them “Was Martin Luther right when he nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church?” Many students ...

Dilemma: Depending on the day, during the pledge, I have a student who refuses to stand.  I have told my students that I don’t care if they say the pledge, but they must stand out of respect for the flag.  When he refuses to stand, I make him stand during the class lesson time.   His rationale:  It is [...]

So, I am still doing the “Freedom Writers Journal.”  Even after my last run in.  However, I have disclaimer on the powerpoint, that says “anything revealed that is a danger to yourself or others must be reported.”  Most of the kids laughed.  They thought it was funny.  I also asked them to put a star [...]

One day when I was really down about my students and teaching, David popped up and gave me some ideas.  He suggested that I try to give my students motivation or inspiration.  At first, I thought, “That’s not my job, that’s their mama’s job.”  But afterwards, I realized that my students are not getting encouragement ...