An archived stack of papers: 'caring'
It’s Only November
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Nov
- 07
- 2007
Kid: “I’m not getting anything here. Teachers aren’t teaching me anything.” Me: “So maybe teachers do have something to show you and maybe you don’t know it all.” Kid: “Tell me one thing teachers have taught me here.” Me: “Maybe some teachers know better than... read more
Refuse To Spoil: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 5
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 28
- 2006
Reading about characters and settings you can’t relate to is no reason to abandon the story. It may be that making the decision to stick with a story, despite the fact that it takes place in a world you can’t imagine and have no connection to, is the best decision for you. Maybe irrelevant reading is a necessary evil, like dentists and shopping malls at Christmas time.
Set... read more
Maturity: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 4
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 25
- 2006
It’s entirely possible that reading stories irrelevant to your life is the best thing for you. Imagine keeping your knowledge so limited that you only know about the things in the immediate life you lead. Irrelevant material makes you more aware of how you fit into the world. I want to make this clear to students.
On Being Mature
Teachers often hear complaints that students... read more
Impact: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 3
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 21
- 2006
If “a hurricane triggered by butterfly wings,” this idea that a small action can have gigantic and unforeseen consequences far away, is accurate then students need to be aware of how the things they do impact people they will never meet. The easiest way to do that, as I can see it, is to introduce students to various ways of life through reading.
Hurricanes And... read more
Read Away Selfishness: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 2
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 18
- 2006
When Krakatoa exploded in 1883, the telegraph reported that news around the world faster than any catastrophe had been reported before. Because of that, people began to see the world extend beyond their town or city or country. The idea of a selfish view of the world, that the only things worth knowing about happen to me, becomes harder to embrace when we know about life elsewhere. Information connected... read more
Shrink The World: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 1
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 13
- 2006
Do we spoil teenagers if we feed them reading that’s only about what limited things interest them at this given time? Sure, that type of reading has its place. It’s key to appeal to a teenager, providing strong and interesting examples of writing. We want to build the idea that not all reading is boring and that reading can lead to a happier life (yes, I honestly believe... 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
Make A Scene For Your Classroom
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Apr
- 09
- 2006
While watching Election for quite possibly the 100th time, I was reminded of why I thought a short clip of that film might be good to play for my students.
Toward the end of the movie, in a segment that’s about 5... read more
Ideological Bubble
In a stack of papers called connections.
- Mar
- 04
- 2006
Cold air always finds its way into your warm jacket, seeps into your pockets, and no pair of socks keeps out the freezing molecules. Anxiously waiting for the heater to live up to its name on my way to work on a Friday morning a few weeks ago, Steve Inskeep’s intonations chimed through the chill:
President... read more
Into [Not So] Thin Air
In a stack of papers called Unorganized.
- Jan
- 22
- 2006
Glancing through my teaching materials, one thought on the way my classes run currently and another on the way I want to run things, I cleared the way for a new method, hunched my shoulder against the inevitable problems coming this week, and stared absently at the vastness of my Writers INC (pages 160-65) and Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: The American Experience (pages 994-95 and... read more