Is teaching weird, or what? I mean, I spent the last few weeks of school running around like the proverbial decapitated chicken, then it’s done. I have nothing work-related to do. I could be a good egg and begin making lesson plans virtually the moment school lets out. I don’t know for sure what I’m…
ChemJerk recently posted about term papers for sale on eBAY. Join us in submitting a complaint to eBAY. If they won’t allow teachers’ editions of textbooks for sale, then I can’t see how this should be allowed, although I didn’t find it listed explicitly in the list of prohibited items. I broached the subject of…
Man, I’m ready for this end-of-year dance to be over. The last couple of weeks of school are so hard. That sounded like stating the obvious. I’m under some pressure; partly, I can’t tell if it’s all in my head and of my own making, or something I should be really freaking out about. I…
Miss Hazel Haley is retiring after teaching high school English for 69 years. It is estimated that she has taught approximately 13,500 students over the years, 67 of which she has worked at Lakeland Senior High School in Lakeland, Florida. She has conducted class in the same room for the last 54 years. I cannot…
I just found out via the Education Wonks that a former colleague, Phil Carroll, was recently threatened by a student at Peachtree Ridge High School in Gwinnett County. The two of us taught together at Snellville Middle in Gwinnett. His room adjoined mine. He was very knowlegeable about languages, very soft-spoken, very intelligent. Here is…
Since I work at a Jewish school, our Spring Break is timed with Passover. We have two weeks off this year. I think it is because a lot of our students go out of town to observe Passover. I am definitely not complaining. I need the time to re-energize. It is so nice to have…
This is something that should be abundantly clear, but in case it isn’t, I want to make it clear. If you want to make a comment, even one in which you criticize my line of thinking, that’s fine, but you will stand behind your words with a real e-mail address or your comment will not…
Once again, I have fallen behind. I have stacks of papers to grade. I have about three or four education articles to read and write about. Oh, wait. Make that five, because Jay McTighe is coming to our school for a professional development day, and I have a large article to read in order to…
If passed into law, a new bill in the Virginia General Assembly will require teachers to educate their students about online dangers. Are there online dangers students need to be worried about? YES. Why shove one more parental task off on the teachers?
I’m usually a pretty nice person, but what I’m about to write might be considered by some to be somewhat mean. I was friendly with a woman in college. She had the same major as I did — English Education. She was a sweet girl, but let’s be blunt — she was dumb as a…
