It’s New Year’s Day for me—the first day of pre-planning. I am teaching two sections of British Literature and Comp., one section of American Literature and Comp., the Hero with a Thousand Faces elective, and Journalism/Newspaper. Newspaper is new for me. I have sponsored a newspaper before, but it has been a few years. I [...]
Entries Tagged as 'teaching'
Teaching Schedule
June 9th, 2010 · 18 Comments · Teaching Literature, Teaching Writing, Tools
I received my teaching schedule for next year. I am stepping back into some comfortable areas as well as taking on some new challenges. I will be teaching two sections (two levels) of British Literature and Composition, same as I did this year, and I will also be teaching my Hero with a Thousand Faces [...]
Tags: american literature·british literature·hellmansoft·ical·journalism·planbook·schedule·teaching·teaching responsibilities·things·writing seminar
GCTE Teacher of the Year
February 4th, 2010 · 14 Comments · Professional Development
I am very excited and honored to share that the Georgia Council of Teachers of English has selected me as one of two high school English Teachers of the Year.
“Look What I’m Reading for Pleasure”
April 21st, 2009 · 9 Comments · Issues
I have a student whom I just love (well, a lot of them, actually, but I’m going to focus on just the one today). I have taught her for three years. I teach in a small school, and sometimes that happens. When she was a ninth grader, she let me know she didn’t like to [...]
Tom Discusses Teacher Shortcuts
September 27th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Issues, Recommended Reading, Technology
I really enjoyed Tom Woodward’s recent post “There Are No Shortcuts at Bionic Teaching,” but I left a comment that really didn’t say all I was thinking. Tom mentions using fun fonts to make boring content exciting (and has particular ire for Comic Sans). I have been known to use fun fonts, but I hope [...]
Tags: education·reflection·teaching
One of My Teachers
September 20th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Recommended Reading
When I talk about certain works of literature, I can hear the words of my own professors coming out of my mouth. I truly received a good English education at my college, and I look back in fondness at my college classes, perhaps none more so than the very last one I took, Twentieth Century [...]
A Sticky Problem: Teachers and Grammar
July 4th, 2008 · 9 Comments · Issues
Laura Diamond at the AJC’s education blog Get Schooled discusses a sticky problem: teachers who use poor grammar in communication with parents. Many of us admit we have poor grammar and horrible spelling skills. So why do so many of us get concerned when we see these same faults in teachers? Can you respect a [...]
Tags: communication·grammar·teaching
Folger Shakespeare Mini-Institute
June 17th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Professional Development, Teaching Literature
Last week, I participated in a Teaching Shakespeare Mini-Institute with the Folger Shakespeare Library. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in one of Folger’s institutes, seize the opportunity. You will not only learn great practical methods for teaching Shakespeare and learn about Shakespeare and his plays, but you will also develop professional ties [...]
Tags: education·folger·midsummer night's dream·shakespeare·teaching
The Power of a Positive First Impression
June 1st, 2008 · Comments Off · Issues
I e-mailed my adviser at Virginia Tech with a question about registration. She wrote back in what I thought was an unnecessarily irritable way because I had used the wrong e-mail address to contact her, and because she was upset about that one detail, the tone of her whole reply made me feel as though [...]
Choices for Teachers
April 20th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Professional Development
I wrote this last night thinking of submitting it to the Faculty Room, but I realized I misunderstood our focus question, and I didn’t want my post to go to waste. Thus, here are my thoughts on some choices teachers ought to have about their profession and environment. Teachers have differing degrees of choice in [...]
