An archived stack of papers: February 2007

Pride And MacBook Prejudice

In a stack of papers called Personal.

  • Feb
  • 21
  • 2007

They didn’t notice me in the Mac store today, thankfully. It was pretty uncomfortable, standing right next each other in such a tight space. We said hello as usual, as if nothing had changed, but we both knew it was different. It was awkward as I looked around the store, ogling others. I know that must have hurt, even just a tiny bit, but I couldn’t help it. I need to decide where to go... read more

Double Bagging

In a stack of papers called Personal.

  • Feb
  • 20
  • 2007

Down at the local Costentino’s, I bought a bottle of wine, some chicken, dinner type stuff. I was supposed to get some artichokes, but they looked pretty beat up. Imagine artichokes cowering in the corner of the produce truck, beefsteak tomatoes looming over them, eggplants pushing up purple sleeves ready to throw the next round of punches.

Anyhow, most of the other ingredients I already... read more

More Reauthorization Thoughts

In a stack of papers called Legislation.

  • Feb
  • 16
  • 2007

I just finished a conversation with a friend and colleague about the ESEA/NCLB suggested changes I wrote about yesterday. Why aren’t things ever easy? There are good ideas there and this is a push in the right direction, but there are far too many problems to just roll over on this one. Similarly, there are too many improvements this could make to accept none of it.

Ultimately, the trouble... read more

ESEA/NCLB Reauthorization Suggestions

In a stack of papers called Legislation.

  • Feb
  • 15
  • 2007

I received email from NEA, the head of the local union, and the union vice president, all decrying the latest suggested changes to ESEA (NCLB). Even though many ideas expressed in the Aspen Institute report would go a long way to move teaching toward an actual “profession,” one requirement lead my union... read more

Witches Vanish

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Feb
  • 13
  • 2007

My seniors started Macbeth last week. We began the unit by reading I.iii.1-110 several times. Then, groups of seven got up to act the scene out for the rest of the class. Each group had different motivations for Macbeth and Banquo, along with... read more

Good Bad Sentences

In a stack of papers called Writing.

  • Feb
  • 12
  • 2007

My juniors have several pieces of scratch paper: STAR Test Prep, Sentence Combining, SAT Writing, Grammar. We added Good Bad Sentences today, a new series I’m starting in class. With sentences on the overhead that come from the writing they just turned in, we work on rewriting them and pointing out the problems that exist with the original. Example: “Also not many people read the bible they... read more

Interpretive Standards

In a stack of papers called Testing.

  • Feb
  • 08
  • 2007

If standards are there to improve the level of education delivered and to act as a kind of teacher report card once we measure student ability to perform those standards, those standards better be exact and not open to interpretation. Good for objective classes, terrible for subjective ones.

Writing Strategies, standard 1.9 says

Revise text to highlight the individual voice,... read more

Leadership Tag

In a stack of papers called Personal.

  • Feb
  • 07
  • 2007

After just about 2 years of blogging, I finally got hit with a meme (two, actually; more on the other one hopefully tomorrow). Rick Scheibner threw this my way: “What are seven qualities we don’t know about you that help you be a leader?” Yikes… Those that actually know me, if I’m full of it, call me on... read more

Why You Should Change Grades

In a stack of papers called Grading.

  • Feb
  • 01
  • 2007

A student who earns a D or an F first semester can change that grade by earning a C the second semester.

Why?

Regularly, poor performance in my class equates to not doing the work assigned. A student earning an F usually can change that with a little effort. Attempting to do the writing, reading, speaking, or thinking I’m asking gives me ideas of what a student needs in order to do... read more