An archived stack of papers: 'irrelevance'
Wanted: Creative Ideas
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Mar
- 23
- 2010
Anyone out there have some creative ways their district is cutting costs? We’ve got zero creativity and, honestly, never really have. Yesterday was a day for our Sup to come tell us what we already know about the budget and for him to politic during the Q/A session. And I’m not hearing anything interesting about how to solve the problems from the district.
It’s been suggested... read more
Feeling The Crisis
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Mar
- 28
- 2009
I don’t know about you, but I have a truckload of students who are suffering from the current financial crisis. Mom and dad are struggling to pay the mortgage, the bank is foreclosing, boxes are jam packed as they get ready to move tomorrow, students suddenly know far too much about what a short sale is, and school suddenly seems terribly distant. Writing that essay about a theme seen in One... read more
Lil Wayne Or Snoop Dogg
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Dec
- 01
- 2007
What do you do when you start thinking that your subject is worthless? “You know, maybe the students are right. Maybe this is all completely irrelevant to their lives.” What do you do when you look at your content standards and think, “why would the average person need to know any of this?” What happens when you decide that what you are doing in class is not going to prepare... read more
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
BTSN Ideas
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Nov
- 05
- 2007
Back-to-school Night (BTSN) happened a while for most of us, but we just debriefed the Night. I’m all full of questions and ideas, so here’s the stream, formatted to fit this screen and edited to run in the time allotted and for content.
Numbers
How many parents show up to your BTSN? We changed up the... read more
Wasting Time
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Mar
- 03
- 2007
I hate wasting time. As with most jobs, there are countless things teachers do every day. There’s a lot to keep track of, progress to make, skills to address, mastery to assess. So when I have to do something that wastes my time, I get angry.
Standards To Students?
One such thing is posting the standards that we are covering each day. This is not something I do, but other teachers... 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