An archived stack of papers: 'students'
Signs Of Progress
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jan
- 12
- 2007
These past 2 weeks, I’ve seen some good things happening in my seventh period. I’m trying to keep track of them so I know that it’s not all bad. The frustrations of seventh period stay with me all day.
A student looked at other students when reading her response instead of looking at me — she understood who her audience was. One day, two students offered... read more
A Small Success
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jan
- 02
- 2007
The final period of the day brings challenges no matter the course. Students and teachers are tired; it’s easy to cut that period; the end of the day is looming; the list goes on. My seventh period this year has been a challenge in that the students are quiet. No, not just quiet, on the verge of silent.
Today, during discussion of the daily, two students tripped over themselves to help... read more
Everything Bad Is Teaching You
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jul
- 23
- 2006
Steven Johnson’s Everything Bad Is Good For You (check out the NY Times 5-page adaptation of the book) makes a compelling case for the increasing complexity of popular culture. And even if what he discusses is not truly happening in pop culture, his ideas show a way to promote more... read more
The Gravity Of Graduation
In a stack of papers called Grading.
- Jun
- 02
- 2006
The excitement of the end of the school year, as infectious as any disease, prances around the room all day dressed in its summer finest. With the dawning of June, students see it and they often dance along, singing songs of the fair time off from school ahead. I see it, too, as vacations and airline tickets build up, though I keep my dancing shoes in the closet during the workday. But while the... read more
The Problem Of The Long-Term
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Apr
- 14
- 2006
As we move to the end of the year, I spring long-term projects on my classes. The 3-week A Yellow Raft In Blue Water project for English 3 has groups reading only one section of the novel and preparing a presentation on that section according to specific guidelines. English 4’s Siddhartha project found the seniors with 2 weeks of class time for planning, practicing, and preparing... 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
Standardize Students
In a stack of papers called Testing.
- Mar
- 19
- 2006
One student learned very little during the first 8 years of his free education, before reaching high school. Neither a special education student nor an English language learner, that student would be placed into English 1/9 at my school, together with several other freshmen. That student would be woefully unprepared.
Another student walks onto campus ready to pass the California High School Exit... read more
Homework? During Break?
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jan
- 08
- 2006
This past week was our first week back from Christmas Break and I noticed that some teachers assigned pretty serious work during the time off. I wonder if that simply sets students up for failure. We all know that the majority of our students (99.9% of them) won’t do the assigned work until the last night before returning. Some of them will forget completely. I’d say a large number would... read more