Solo Week

When classes start up again after vacation, I’m going to embark on my first solo week.
The University requires that I teach, all by my lonesome, for two weeks during the internship. Those weeks can happen pretty much any time and in any configuration the intern and CT chooses – Monday to Friday, say, or [...]

Membership Has Its Privileges

I was in Barnes & Nobel today, meeting a friend for a bit of cocoa and conversation. While I was there, I picked up a book we promised my father-in-law for his birthday and, well, a couple of other things.
While I was standing in line doing quick math in my head (okay, I’ll ‘fess [...]

They’ve Gotta Think You Like Them

I was the recipient of some very good advice yesterday, though I’m not entirely sure what to DO with it.
CT and I were sitting in the tiny office she shares with another English teacher when she turned to me and said, “Okay, I’m going to tell you this because I’ve been at this for 25 [...]

To Be or Not To Be….

…that may be the question, but the answer is most decidedly YES! Freshman CAN work with Hamlet, and do an amazing job at it, too.
There is much noise and clamor that Hamlet is “too much” for freshmen. The play is too dense, the argument goes; there’s too much intrigue and psychological machinations and [...]

There’s Always One

So, I’m STILL thinking about the fifth period, level 400 English class. I find it occupies my thoughts so often because I’m growing increasingly frustrated by not only what I’m observing, but also my total inability to do anything about it.
There’s one boy who’s gotten under my skin. This particular young man is [...]

A Night of No Homework

I’ve been forbidden to do homework tonight, and I’ve gotta tell ya, I’m having a hard time with it.
CT sent me home today, slightly early, with the admonition that I was to do nothing work-related tonight. She told me that I’ve been doing too much and she’s made it her new priority to teach [...]

I LOVE My Life!

So, here’s the scene. I’m in the living room with school papers strewn all around me on the couch while I attempt to corral them into some sort of coherent order. PunkinPie, my eldest daughter (who’s eight, it’s important to remember) comes over and picks up a random sheet, which happens to have [...]

Grrr!

So, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the period five, level 400 kids (as a matter of fact, I’m in the period five, level 400 class right now – I brought my computer to school, but forgot my reading book). I’m hoping that writing will help me to solidify and organize [...]

Learning Unit Objectives

I just finished my first ever Learning Unit Objective (LUO).
The requirement for instructors in this school isn’t to have on hand an entire unit’s worth of lesson plans, but rather to have completed an LUO prior to beginning a new unit. The LUO is, essentially, an overview of the unit you’re planning to teach [...]

A Revolt in A207

Today was an interesting day.
Mondays suck in general, but today was particularly challenging. None of the kids were really interested in school today – there was much grumbling and very little cooperation – but none were so enthusiastic about their apathy as the 400 level kids in period five.
CT and I had started on [...]