from the Chalkboard Manifesto
I am not really looking forward to going back to work today. The kids are delivering “special occasion” speeches and we’ll watch Bill Clinton give a commencement speech, but that’s all I’ve got planned for the afternoon. I’ll report back on how many kids actually handed in mid-terms. Wish me – and [...]
Entries from February 2009
February 18, 2009
Grammar Wednesday
February 17, 2009
How Low Can You Go?
I’m expecting my students’ mid-term exams back tomorrow. I’m trying to keep my expectations very low, but I fear that they’ll manage to surpass even my dimmest hopes.
I’ve got 17 kids in the class. Never once, in the six weeks we’ve been meeting, has the entire complement of students been present in the [...]
February 12, 2009
Grammar Wednesday
I almost forgot what day it is!
Our local bagel shop has recently put pictures of the high school varsity teams on the wall. CLEARLY, someone doesn’t understand the use of the plural possessive, because the pictures (which I’m unable, for some unknown reason, to get off my phone and into my computer… sorry) all say [...]
February 10, 2009
Really?!
Dear Readers, I pose to you a question to which I want your honest answer – not just what you think I want to hear: would you ever decide to change an assignment that a teacher had given you?
Remember, a LONG time ago, Henry (Dear Henry) decided that he just couldn’t bear to watch a [...]
February 9, 2009
Whiplash!
My plan for today’s class was to execute an over-achieving lesson plan – one that multi-tasked and snuck a lot of learning in the back door.
My students’ next scheduled speech is a “special occasion” speech, and to give them an example, I chose to investigate both Reagan’s comments to the nation following the Challenger tragedy [...]
February 4, 2009
Grammar Wednesday
Ugh.
O’Mama and I were in a local food store yesterday when I noticed this:
O’Mama gently and politely pointed the gaff out to the cashier while I was snapping the picture with my iPhone. While I can’t attest to the cashier’s demeanor before we arrived, she was decidedly cold and unfriendly as O’Mama explained, kindly and [...]
February 2, 2009
The First Round
My communication class delivered its first round of speeches today.
Sigh.
I had a couple of really great presentations; so great that I was actually a little surprised. One girl did a lovely, logical, and clear speech about the history of the Beatles and, though she was nervous as hell, she managed to pull off one of [...]
