An archived stack of papers: 'Instruction'
Routines
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jul
- 21
- 2010
What happened? Why is summer almost over already? How come I haven’t started thinking about what new things to put in place?
Maybe you have some ideas to share with me about what you do with reading and writing in the class everyday. What do you do to create reading routines in class? What about setting up writing routines? How do you put things in place that make strong reading and writing... read more
TTTC: Focus
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jun
- 22
- 2010
This would have been more successful if it wasn’t the final unit and piece of writing of the year. That brings with it a certain degree of scattered students and work, no matter how well planned you are. I decided we’d finish off the year with The Things They Carried, something that seems to appeal to a fairly wide audience. I’m thinking of starting with this novel next year.... read more
Like It Never Even Happened
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Mar
- 09
- 2010
You have a student that’s rough. If you’re unfortunate and like the majority of us, you have more than one. This is a student who just keeps pushing your buttons and making life difficult for you. Or maybe this is a student who doesn’t do anything. That kind of passive aggressive behavior is taxing, too. This could be a student who is obnoxious, acting far younger than she should.... read more
Commercial Poetry
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Oct
- 11
- 2009
I mentioned the VW commercial that uses a Dylan Thomas piece (not a poem, but it’s rather poetic prose) a while back. There are also these Levi’s commercials with some Whitman poetry. I’m not exactly sure what to do with them, but there’s a connection between these commercials... read more
Ten Minutes
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Sep
- 26
- 2009
I feel like I’m going to be able to breathe again so writing more often will come after that. We all have our struggles. I have a bunch of ideas to share and am starting to lose track of where to start. Here’s my first contribution to your school year that’s already well underway, but maybe you still have time to implement this. Consider doing it in October.
Students read for... read more
Something New(ish)
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 14
- 2009
My school doesn’t start for another ten days; students arrive in eleven. Some teachers were just told earlier this week what they will be teaching next year. I’m willing to bet that other teachers still don’t know. There is a possibility that teaching schedules could change between now and the 25th. It’s slight, but still a possibility. This all worries me, but I’m sure... read more
Three Flavors
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 07
- 2009
A small thing I did last year that I think could have had a big impact if I’d played my cards right:
Do Firsts came in three flavors: Quotation, Question, Writing Challenge; Enrichment Reading blogs also came in three flavors: Quotation, Question, Writing Challenge.
This may seem a small thing, but it reflects a fair amount of thought on my part for how I can... read more
What’s New?
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jul
- 21
- 2009
Stopping by summer school a few times has lead me to the irrefutable conclusion that a resource teacher for summer school English 1 was a colossal waste of district money (roughly three-thousand dollars of a waste). I have yet to contact other resource teachers (a huge failing on my part), but I would imagine their experience to be similar to mine: no one wants the help. I’m basically just going... read more
How Will We Survive?
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jun
- 19
- 2009
My library has already been cut. We will have no bookroom clerk, making novels almost an impossibility and replacement costs much higher than previous years for sure. We will lose one adviser, the person we send students to when they are problematic. We will have a total of fifteen more students each day, meaning that we’ll teach five and a half classes for the same pay as we usually get for... read more
Summer Resource Teacher
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jun
- 17
- 2009
Since making it through one of the worst years of my life wasn’t punishment enough, I figured I’d take on the newly created English 1 Resource Teacher spot during summer school. No clear role, no teeth for enforcement, no precedence of expectation, no track record of success. Why not?
There are a total of seven meetings I’m supposed to hold, one before summer school starts and... read more