An archived stack of papers: 'Unorganized'
How’s It Going?
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Sep
- 16
- 2010
How have things started off for you? Are you doing things you always wanted to do? Did you revamp anything that you’re excited about? Are you anxious to share something you’ve put in place this year? Do you see this as a year where things are really going to be different? How have financial matters impacted the opening of this school year for you? What’s the beginning of the year been... read more
Running Out Of Time
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Apr
- 22
- 2010
We were supposed to:
review root blocks 25 & 26 finish chapter 6 and begin chapter 7 of Lord of the Flies begin chapter notes for LOTF read in their SSR book for about twenty minutes start their Reading Response in class discuss symbols in LOTF
We only:
reviewed root blocks 25 &... read more
Treats
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Oct
- 31
- 2008
More and more students in my Support class are firmly in my camp, getting as frustrated as I am with the behavior of a shrinking number. I’m able to use that student support to get others quiet quickly. I’m working on using that to get students staying on task longer.
A certain student in the Support class handed her phone over to me today with minimal cajoling. Another one I... read more
Two In One
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Oct
- 21
- 2008
Referrals are not my preferred method. I’ve written maybe twenty referrals in my entire teaching career. I feel like it’s a cop out, like I’m passing the buck for discipline that I should really be the one to take care of. I wrote out two referrals today, an action that just doubled the amount of referrals I’ve written so far this year (and the third I’ve written... read more
Don’t Do Drugs
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Jun
- 04
- 2006
During the year that I took off from teaching, the 2000-2001 school year, this guy named John introduced me to an organizational concept, one best summed up in the following analogy:
Think of a bucket, something the size of, say, a paint can. You’ve got 3 big rocks, several smaller stones, and a bag of sand. How can you fit all of those things into the bucket?
Size... read more
Standard Usage
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Jun
- 01
- 2006
This was originally going to be added to my last posting, but it grew longer and longer. Instead of cut things out, I preserved my thoughts here for posterity. I’d draw a comic of this, but I’m not Kevin or Sutter, so just make due with my mental comic drawing skills as exhibited in this little snippet of... read more
4 Hours
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Apr
- 13
- 2006
Classes let out today at 1:05 due to STAR testing. Students piled out my door as I sat down to begin. The tasks never stopped their parade across my desk.
And here I still sit, packed up except for my computer, in the early evening of a beautiful April day. The sun slowly sinks behind the hills off in the distance and reflections across campus darken. A quick glance at the clock and I realize... read more
High School Is Memorex
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Apr
- 11
- 2006
Most students don’t view high school as “the real world.” My seniors got to the idea that Siddhartha doesn’t think any of it is real, the life he leads and the people he meets. I pressed and asked if that’s the way teenagers feel about high school. When bad news comes from school, does it really matter? What about good news? In the grand scheme of things, does it have an... read more
Two Students Walk Out Of Class
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Mar
- 27
- 2006
In an effort to protest the proposed crackdowns on illegal immigration, students at my school staged a walk out. Just about every single year, at one time or another, a walk out is staged, but it has never actually happened. This time, at 9:30, 2 students stood up and walked out of my class. There are a few interesting things... read more
Using A Deck Of Cards
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Mar
- 24
- 2006
A deck of Bellagio playing cards innocently sits in a drawer of my desk, perched atop a random assortment of pens collected over the years. I used to think it was an incomplete deck I kept in the classroom since it couldn’t be used for card games at home. Last year, I counted; all 52 cards are there. It’s not because of a missing card that they hang around.
Large groups: Each suit... read more