Testifyin' Teacher

Small Kids, Big Kids: We All Use Our Words

2012-01-05T21:26:00.001-08:00

Recently I visited a friend’s preschool classroom. While there, I saw an argument that mirrored my own high school students’ conflicts very closely. I walked away curious about the way younger and older students use their words to explain their own feelings and the actions of others. When I entered the room, the four-year-olds were in centers. Students built a labyrinth of colorful sprockets

Homecoming at school

2011-10-15T10:12:00.001-07:00

Students are throwing frisbees, climbing the rock wall, helping younger siblings into the jump palace. Seeing students outside the classroom, in a more natural element makes me a better teacher. It smokes me of the many dimensions to their identities and gives me empathy when the two page report I adorned is not a student's very number one priority.

Because We Care

2011-10-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch the 10th grade teachers met with the 10th grade "repeaters." They make us want to pull our hair out because of the many small (and not so small) ways they choose to self destruct. But we called the meeting, ordered them pizza, explained the purpose, and then split them into small groups to talk to them about their credits. One has been in school two years and has a total of 3

Sophomoric Behavior

2011-09-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Someone I worked with said that sophomores are named that for a reason: they engage in sophomore behavior. They're immature, silly, irresponsible, and living in the moment. However, my sophomores this year are anything but sophomoric. After a honeymoon of a first week, I am thoroughly impressed with students' planning, responsibility, perseverance, and maturity. I assigned a project on Tuesday,

Year Three

2011-08-28T20:22:00.001-07:00

Just received an email from a friend, a great teacher. The email was about yoga, but she made the comment, "Fake it to make it. When will we stop feeling that way?" It brings up the element of performance and the constant uncertainty I feel. There are so many complex variables that go into classroom teaching, especially in Title 1 schools. And regardless of how many hours I put in planning for

Global Experience

2011-08-19T19:50:00.001-07:00

Very grateful for my first global experience and the opportunity to meet so many world travelers. Now I finally have one small story of my own to share. With hopefully many more to come. Currently eating with an Irishman, a German, two New Jerseyan vegan sisters, mi esposo, and another lawyer from New York City.

Visualizing the Goal

2011-08-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

This morning we ran up the quarter mile footpath, all the while visualizing large cumbersome luggage behind us and pitch black darkness all about. Because at 3:30am tomorrow morning, that's what we'll be doing. This Earth Lodge is secluded and gorgeous. Yet there are a plethora of ex-pats here, chatting about friends who are too gorgeous to be dating that old guy or who are jetting from Panama

Living in a Tree to Help the Children

2011-08-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

We're staying in a tree this next weekend. And some of what we pay will go to help children in the nearby village attend school! Woohoo!

Mas Verduras, Por Favor!

2011-08-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

If only the vetables weren't washed with Guatemaltecan water, to which extranjeros (gringos) are allergic. I have a serious hankering for something besides tortillas, rice, potatoes, pasteles, galletos, o frijoles.

Camera es Roto - Broken

2011-08-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

I don't know if it was the scorpion or the humidity or just plain old bad luck, but the camera is broken and I am sad. However we have gone through our first disposable camera and I am excited to see how the photos turn out. In the mean time, I am forced to appreciate every moment as fully as possible, as I will never see it again.

Frightening how strategic corporations are...

2011-08-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Victory for Rethinking Schools and free thinking. Children’s Publisher Backing Off Its Corporate Ties By TAMAR LEWIN Published: July 31, 2011 Two months after Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher of children’s books, was hit with a barrage of criticism for distributing an unbalanced curriculum sponsored by the coal industry, the company is cutting back its InSchool marketing division’s

Possiblity?

2011-08-15T14:54:00.001-07:00

I want to do this... New and Emerging Talent Initiative (NETI) .UNICEFBlog { background-color: #F3F3F3; color: #000000 !important; border: 1px solid #C3C3C3; height: 425px; width: 425px; } .UNICEFBlog h2, .UNICEFBlog h3, .UNICEFBlog p, .UNICEFBlog a, .UNICEFBlog li { margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; font: 10px verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif !

El Lago

2011-08-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Only 4 big spiders and 1 scorpion. Otherwise the lake was perfect. It was more beautiful than the pictures and I can't fully appreciate its beauty until I've left it, because it is so overwhelming and tranquil at the same time. Now on to our last week in Guatemala! I'm already getting sad.

As Promised- Photos- Stories Still to Come

2011-08-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

The huge waves and black sand of Monterrico. The drive back from Monterrico The volcanoes from afar, as we did not take any photos when we hiked a LIVE VOLCANO and toasted marshmallows in a heat pocket. But it was awesome.

We're Finally Volunteering!

2011-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

We've been looking for a place to volunteer where we could use our skills and practice our language. A tall order, for sure. But I think we've found it here in Xela. TramaTextiles is a collective of indigenous women, different Mayan pueblos across Guatemala, that work together to market their hand woven textiles to the global market. There are 5 volunteers here this summer, 7 if you count us,

Textiles

2011-08-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

We visited a cooperative where women hand make textiles and sell them for a fair price. They also showed us what a traditional Mayan marriage was like, courtesy of four very goofy United States university students. They played mother-in-law and new bride and etc. Very funny. There´s more stories from this visit to come.

Update

2011-08-08T13:24:00.001-07:00

Saw the Pacific and black sand. Saw an active volano and the lava flow created last year. Now in Xela getting settled. All is well. Many photos and stories to come. Love to the states.

Un Dia Sin Lluvia

2011-08-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last night we talked to los padres en el telefono. |Que bueno! The dog, Owens, could hear us, and when we asked him to sit, HE DID! El chiste de la noche. And today...no rain! I´m sure we´ll pay the debt with two days straight with rain, but it was worth it. I was able to take some photos. Today we told our host mother that she was the best host mother in the world but that we were planning

El Museo de Cafe Azotea

2011-08-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a Finca de Cafe, a coffee farm. Miguel was in heaven. There was also a museum about Mayan musical instruments and I recorded the tour guide playing the flutes and drums. I hope to upload some of those sounds at a later date. For now, here is the link to the museums: Azotea. Did you know that...one coffee bean tree produces enough beans in one harvest for 40 cups of coffee? And

We Arrive: Antigua es Bellisima!

2011-07-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Curt for driving us to the bus pick up at 340 en la manana. The bus ride was uneventful and we slept on the first flight. We were hoping that when we left Houston for Guatemala city that we´d be able to see parts of Mexico but we were over the ocean all the way there. The tiny waves reminded me of windblown sand, but I know they had to be taller than me. I am glad we were on a

Photos from the Garden

2011-07-29T14:46:00.001-07:00

https://picasaweb.google.com/gwen.la/GardensOfEden?locked=true#slideshow/5634861629080654818

Tomorrow!

2011-07-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we leave for Guatemala. We will hop on the bus around 3:30am. There might be some sleeping happening on the plane. The flight from Denver to Houston is only 2.5 hours. The flight from Houston to Guatemala is barely longer: 3 hours. We'll be out of the country after a total travel time of under 12 hours. It'll be my first time outside of the United States.

Another odd sight...

2011-07-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was driving I saw a woman floating along on a scooter, sipping a coke and cradling her seven month pregnant belly. Her dress was brilliantly blue.

Denver Urban Gardens - Multiculturalism in the Garden Tour

2011-07-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

Denver Urban Gardens - Multiculturalism in the Garden TourMulticulturalism AND Gardening: I love it.

Packing List

2011-07-24T09:57:00.001-07:00

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Investigative Journalism Institute High School Students | I-News Network

2011-07-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Excited to advertise this to students for next summer. What an incentive to be a rockstar newspaper nerd!Investigative Journalism Institute High School Students | I-News Network

Forgetful Mishap Ends Well

2011-07-16T11:47:00.001-07:00

accidentally left rice on the stove while biking errands around town. only casualty some crispy rice kernels.

Empathy Builds Foundation for Academic Home | Teaching Tolerance

2011-07-15T06:18:00.001-07:00

One of my blog posts was published at Teaching Tolerance!Empathy Builds Foundation for Academic Home | Teaching Tolerance

San Luis Valley Offers This Gem

2011-07-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Orient Land TrustValley View Hot Springs Impressed with their geothermal energy, ability to stay off the grid.Also, there are FIREFLIES!

Project Based Learning Is Great. Check It.

2011-07-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

Debunking Five Myths About Project-Based Learning | Edutopia

Design = Solutions

2011-07-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

How every house could have enough food.

Professional Development Should Be Collaborative.

2011-07-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

"Much of the professional development teachers are required to attend is attached to textbook adoptions, mandates, or scripted programs that promise results that are rarely delivered."

Snapshot: Carpet

2011-06-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

What is the purpose of this carpet's design? Are they horses? Torn piece of paper? Just poor taste?

Snapshot: Moving

2011-06-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

I just saw three Asian graduate students, all wearing classes, moving a 6 foot bookcase down the sidewalk on a brown, rolling desk chair. Halfway down the sidewalk they re-situated. Two held up the bookcase; the third pushed the chair behind. They continued down the sidewalk. Where are they doing? Is that chair safe?

Reason Seen More as Weapon Than Path to Truth

2011-06-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

How does this inform how I teach writing? Obviously Western linear essays are not the only option, but they are an important code to master. Using this article, now I wonder about modes of persuasion, types or propaganda, and the like.Reason Seen More as Weapon Than Path to Truth: "Rationality evolved to win arguments, some scholars suggest, and flawed reasoning is itself an adaptation."

Facebook Founder Faces Food

2011-06-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

Why is Zuckerberg making such a public statement? Seems like an odd PR choice...Facebook Founder Faces Food: "One thesis in my new book, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them is that so much animal mistreatment happens because so many of us in society have become disconnected from animals. In other words, they are far removed from our daily experiences, especially those

Everyone Needs Love

2011-06-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Found in favorite local coffee shop's bathroom. All the strips have been ripped off. What are the rest of us supposed to do when we need to find love?

Blithe BL(C)Ts

2011-06-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

Oh to the BLT. Crimson orbs and solid flesh, Relenting white cheddar, Dainty romaine and spinach's bulbuous green. Almost a fresh morning salad fresh grown and tended by loving yuppie hands. However, the hunter gatherer in me worships the salt and grease oozing from the carcass of a dead swine. Summer is divine.

Why I Like Gardening Better Than Teaching

2011-06-07T07:46:00.001-07:00

[Author's Note: Teaching feels very weighty, especially right before the summer when I worry what they're taking with them and what they'll bring back again in August.] The dog is intent on following a squirrel’s every move with his quivering snout. He is standing knee deep in the compost pile. I don’t care what he’ll smell like; he’s happy. The compost we’ve piled into our plot is reddish

Visual Graphics

2011-06-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Wishing I had the research and graphic creation know-how to make a diagram showing what percentage of their annual profits this $20 billion would be. http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2011/06/big-banks-expecting-pay-20-billion-each-mortgage-fraud/38566/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAtlanticWire+%28The+Atlantic+Wire%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

When the Ground Beneath You Moves

2011-05-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today I went hiking and on the way down the mountain it is often difficult for my brain to believe that the ground beneath me is not moving. The brown rocks blend together, my shifting feet and the steep path all seem like a whirlwind of disaster bent on twisting my ankle. I want to sit down and scoot the rest of the way down the trail on my bottom. But I keep moving my feet, praying I won't need

TED Talk by a Teacher at a 1:1 School

2011-05-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

Engaging. Relevant. I love hearing teachers talk about their practice. They are the experts. They deserve to drive the reform hitting schools left and right. Check out this woman's expertise. "Why send children to school if they don't need to go there to get the information?"

Bullying

2011-04-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

We are about to read The Chocolate War. To prepare for the intensity of the story and crucial theme of bullying, students are taking some time to reflect on their own experiences with bullying. First we mimicked the black box marble-drawing drama. In the novel, Archie makes up preposterous, dangerous assignments for students to complete; in exchange, students receive safety within the toxic,

Rihanna tells Rolling Stone she likes whips and chains

2011-03-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

From the author: "However, I wonder if I had a teenager who was a huge Rihanna fan, how I would explain this interview to them." I worry about the hyper-sexualized culture into which my students are constantly thrust. Rihanna tells Rolling Stone she likes whips and chains

Help Us Grow the Curriki Community! « Curriki's Blog

2011-03-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Help Us Grow the Curriki Community! « Curriki's BlogExcellent resource that has helped me tremendously. We need to stop creating curricula in isolation and start using social networking sites more intelligently to share our collective curricular wisdom.

Upheaval Everywhere

2011-03-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer: This is not intended to put the inconvenience of constantly changing school staff arrangements on par with national tragedies. I do, however, think that parallels can be helpful in processing.* I am repeatedly reminded of the temporal nature of our routines. Earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Protests throughout Middle East. CSAP schedule of classes. Rumors of pay cuts and staffing

Rituals and Routines

2011-03-08T18:51:00.000-08:00

CSAP nonsense means routines and rituals have been temporarily hijacked. Students reacted with sunflower seeds, cookies, more defiance than usual. And on top of all this, I added a NEW routine as well. Talk about the perfect storm. The beauty of teaching the same prep a few times in the same day is the ability to immediately reflect on my practice, made adjustments, and see how it worked. Of

Food Justice

2011-03-07T20:53:00.001-08:00

Thinking about how this relates to my students. http://huff.to/gCSROJ I went to Sunflowers Farmers Market tonight (a 20 minute drive for me) to buy fresh produce for my students tomorrow morning. CSAP breakfast food! If it's a pain for me, with a car, benefits, decent free time (sort of?) to find affordable, quality produce, how hard is it for my students and their families? Community garden as

Assessments

2011-03-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about CSAP is that it actually gives me time to give my students real assessment feedback. One time consuming, expensive assessment allows other, more authentic assessments to take place. I love teaching reading and writing, but language is inherently ambiguous. Therefore, grading requires specific, unique feedback for each student. It's been taking me forever. I enjoy

Days Off a Welcome Reprieve

2011-02-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

Urban teachers need time. Of this I am a firm believer. Do your job when you're at work. Do what you say you will. Hold your students to high standards. Love them enough to be stern with them. And when you need a break, take it. Stay sane so that your students don't suffer your insanity along with you. This belief has helped me a lot. Still learning how to balance everything, but it's getting

Net Neutrality...

2010-12-28T16:15:00.000-08:00

I want more people to have access to high speed internet. It would allow my students to keep up with class when they are home sick. It would allow rural families to keep in touch with families that spread out across the country. So net neutrality... I tend to think that regulations are good. Even when the U.S. government demands disclosures, companies, and the U.S. government itself, find ways

"An Education" Reflections

2010-12-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

The students at my school historically score abysmally on standardized tests. Therefore, we (district administrators, school admin, teachers, everyone) are scrambling frantically to find something that will raise these scores and keep our school from closing. The magic bullet: a prescribed curriculum based on elementary models transferred to a high school context. The problem: my students know

What is America?

2010-07-26T14:25:00.001-07:00

This coffee shop sells thin mint brownies, Brazilian fair trade coffee, and the “fundamentals of America” Constitution and Declaration of Independence cheat sheet. To get here, I walked by a quilting store with scraps of tapestry and plaid selling for $3 a bundle. The Indigo Girls broadcast their love from between the sewing shops’ doors. A burly main wearing an atrocious

no desire to go back in August

2010-07-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today, this Wednesday, July 7, 2010, I still have no desire whatsoever to return to the classroom in August. Is this bad? This time last year I was rearing at the bit to get into my classroom and organize. This year, not so much. After a first year that sucked out many of my hopes and ambitions and spit back out cold hard realities, I am merely going to try to be slightly better than last

weather switcheroo

2010-07-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

this weekend when we went hiking there were mosquitoes. today it is downright HUMID here in Denver. what is Nebraska's weather doing in my nice dry new state? I'd like to think that at least somehow Nebraskans are benefiting through our suffering here in Colorado. Maybe the weather saw the silly swap reality tv shows and decided to try it for itself?

sick at beginning of break

2010-03-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Parent teacher conferences tonight. A couple negative parent encounters. One accused me of throwing a desk. Ha. I would never do that. Move one suddenly and loudly, perhaps. To get her loud daughter's hard-to-catch attention? Possibly. But not throw. Anyway. Most were supportive. It's good for me to see them struggle and smile with their students. A peek into the many ways people parent.

constant adolescence

2010-02-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

i don't know if it's because i'm surrounded by adolescents or what, but i feel like i am constantly going through that process of relearning everything i knew and adapting to a new paradigm. maybe i'm being overly dramatic. another symptom of adolescence. before i began teaching, i saw it as a venue for creativity, service, and activism. maybe not at first, but after a few years or experience

of principles and principals

2010-02-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

last night i slept for almost 12 hours. after telling fellow teachers at a happy hour that 7.5 is all i need. i think i'm getting sick. teaching is better. i hope. i'm not a very good teacher. at all. but i am less sad. largely because i have stopped caring so much. students played paper ball basketball in my class yesterday. after the period was over i simply breathed and moved on. there's

Significant Quotes

2009-10-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

Miguel: "Maybe watching TV shows online would be a good alternative for us. Since we don't have time to watch a full movie."***One of my students: "You better hope my grades goes up, Miss. Or my dad will be PISSED."***Another student: "Miss, the next time you're sick, get Ms. E's sub. He's cool. He let us play basketball! But he made us do math problems before we could shoot. So we learned, too."

The World Load is Less Than Invigorating

2009-09-16T19:02:00.001-07:00

Got home at 7:30pm tonight. After leaving for work at 6:45am. This is a pretty typical day. Usually I leave for work earlier and I get home a little earlier.I have a head cold. I cannot feel anything above my shoulders. Every time I grade student binders I think the layers of mucus lining my sinuses gets a little bit thicker. The swine flu will surely get me sooner or later. “It’s a pandemic. You

Gender Testing...No Easy Answers

2009-08-19T19:10:00.001-07:00

This is why dualities don't work and we should respect all committed families and relationships.http://www.slate.com/id/2225810/?from=rss

Teaching as Extreme Sport

2009-08-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

I should be lesson planning right now. In the words of a much more experienced teacher: “I am drowning.” It made me feel better to hear an older wiser counterpart voice my own thoughts about my teaching inadequacies. Teaching is a delight thus far. Such a rush. Some people rock climb, sky dive, or other extreme sports. I teach. It is just as intense. One false move and the class could cascade

Balancing Direct Instruction with Student Knowledge

2009-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

I find myself in the awkward position of attaining a much coveted teaching job, as a brand spanking new language arts teacher, and wondering how I’m going to validate students as people and knowers within the demands of a prescribed curriculum.Last year, my fellowship year, I used the workshop model, giving students plenty of time to work, independently and in small groups. While they worked, I

Teacher Evaluations Should Mix Competition and Compassion

2009-06-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

Looky here! Denver is slightly better than a few other districts when it comes to being honest about teacher performance.How do 9 out of 10 teachers receive a satisfactory report card when schools are in such shambles? Anyone who knows a school knows that a healthy percentage of the teachers in that school are NOT satisfactory. And that's to be expected! Teaching is hard work and needs constant

Interviewing Can Be Fun

2009-05-20T09:02:00.001-07:00

Interviewing can be fun.It reminds you of what you're good at. It's a chance to talk with people with similar goals to yours.There's so many choices! This school has an emphasis on community involvement. This school caters to students who couldn't make it in the big high schools. (And who can "make it" in those factory models?) This school lets you choose your curriculum. This school wants you to

Race in the Classroom

2009-05-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Conrad: What I Know About My StudentHe sat quietly in my classroom for the first two weeks after he transferred here. Conrad came from L.A. and he was living with his cousin at his uncle’s. These facts, along with conversations with administrators about Conrad’s background, made me think that Conrad had had a hard time at his school in L.A. I was excited for his fresh start in my classroom and

Youtube makes supreme court justice decision more transparent

2009-05-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

I just found this article about youtube and supreme court justices-to be on Slate. The video of the various legal minds paints them in a poor light, but the following article explains further. It's so good to see a bit more of what these people might be like on the most powerful bench in the nation.For all its faults, like removing us from deep relationships, providing too much anonymity, and

Like oranges crying to be peeled

2009-04-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Like oranges crying to be peeledYou are falling out of your shirtHow many push ups did you try on to find just the right amount of ooph without being too obvious about their fakeness?You walk as though you’re auditioning for America’s Top ModelTurning the high school hallway into your own personal runwayIt is an insult to these linoleum tilesAnd hallowed cinderblock wallsYou screech at boys when

We See It Everyday

2009-04-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Bodies slunk in every directionSo many arms legs noses toes you’d think they’d get jostledBut the sea of adolescence parts around themShe leans away from himBending knees, shoulders entice and shoes retreatPlaying.Urgent.The classroom door is open.Beautiful essays flow through her pen from her poignant memoriesWhen she’s thereBut she’s missed every day this weekHer mama’s pride, the shining A is

Small Schools, Opportunities for Support or Stifling?

2009-04-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Currently I work in a high school with about 2,000 students. The last two weeks I’ve visited two high schools that had about 300 students, 16 teachers total. The entire teaching staff is smaller than the English department at my current school.At the last small school I had the chance to ask the students what they thought about the school. Two students had transferred from bigger schools to the

Dicatator Faye: A Lesson I Cannot (Should Not?) Teach

2009-04-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

“Work time!”The diligent sophomores immediately broke up into their three research groups. Group Alpha went immediately to the far right side of the room, huddling around one student’s desk. Five inquisitive, articulate, creative students looked docilely at the sixth. Faye immediately began assessing their status.“How is this coming? Are you done with that?”Once they reported their progress, Faye

Just Because It's Public Doesn't Mean Everyone Has Access: Who Has Access and Why

2009-04-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to my first Board of Education meeting. I was a little worried it would be ho-hum and I would find myself confused by all the official language and formal protocols. Instead, I was eagerly listening and jotting notes about the many parents and children who came to speak on behalf of their schools. For me, it brought up questions of access.When I arrived there were about thirty

Open Your Chest

2009-03-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

“Open your chest.”“Lengthen your spine.”“Rise all the way through the crown of your head.”“Open your heart center.”These are the sorts of things the yoga teachers say. They sound a little crazy. My rural Nebraskan sensibilities shudder a bit at all the granola language. But now that I’ve been to a few yoga classes, it still amazes me how much better I feel after I go. Something about this

Short Stories Bring Funnies

2009-03-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading through students’ short story portfolios. These sophomores are such brilliant writers! One girl effectively portrayed the trauma and redemption that a young girl went through after being a sex slave for a year. One boy captured the essence of revenge that a pyromaniac craved to quench. One girl told the story of an orphan who was reunited with her brother after stealing

Will It Consume Me?

2009-02-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

I’m afraid. And here’s why.So much of what I do in the classroom is determined by how much time and energy I realistically have. Much of the control I demand in the classroom (quiet, seating charts, don’t try to confer with me when I’m teaching in front of the whole class) is there just so I can think straight. There is so much stimuli it makes my head reel.Third hour is always a bit of a zoo

Caution; Handle with Care

2009-02-09T20:34:00.000-08:00

Caution; Handle with CareWhen I was in high school, often I would come home sad because kids were mean to me. (I was painfully shy and dreadfully awkward.) Inevitably, my mom would say:“They’re insecure. Ignore them.”I would look at her incredulously. The popular kids who ignored my existence? The loud kids who yelled mean things at me and my friends in the hallway? The big, tough boys who

I'll Shank You

2009-01-31T20:27:00.001-08:00

My students told me on Thursday that if I didn’t come back next year they would shank me. I blushed, so flattered was I. Then I redirected the conversation back to the task at hand: writing dialogue.My graduate classmates and I have been spending a great deal of time thinking about the book Choice Words by Peter Johnston. This little book has had a large impact on our thinking amongst the

Of Hoops and Jumping

2009-01-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

I asked my students to fill out a survey. I want inside their heads. If I know them better, then I can help them learn, using what they already know. And these students know a lot.For example.In response to, “If you could tell a teacher anything, what would it be?” one of my students wrote, “School is not about true learning but about learning ‘to jump through the hoops.” This profound statement

Five Paragraph Essay Woes

2008-12-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Today was a downward spiral. We’re working on the infamous five paragraph essay. The first hour class seemed to understand the concept of a thesis and then three main points to back that up. They started writing and had few issues. I thought maybe I'd explained it pretty well. Second hour floundered a bit but got back on the horse and about 75% of students had a good thesis and main points by the

This Thanksgiving, my students are thankful for…

2008-11-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

friends who stick by you no matter what [her dad is threatening to kick her out of the house]eating turkey togetherlife, because it’s a rare giftmy dad who works 11 hours a day so we can have stuffparents who support methe chance to be with my real family for Thanksgiving instead of the foster homespending time with my cousin because he has brain cancerfood [he drew a picture of a turkey]good

Skipping Class

2008-11-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

I'd just finished lifting in the high school weight room and was on my way back to the English office when I recognized one of my freshmen from first hour hanging out by the doors with a gaggle of other young gentlemen, potentially all skipping class. I assume the worst, just to be safe.Me: Adrian. What class are you supposed to be in? 10-12 adolescent boys around him: Ooh. Uh-oh. Una maestra… [

Harnessing Passions

2008-11-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

Smack! Whack!Reading McLaren’s dense and perhaps unnecessarily multisyllabic text reminded me of a few things, and it felt like a brick to the forehead.When McLaren writes of “delibinalized” classroom learning, I want to laugh and cry at the same time. I remember an English class I took on women writers and the slow dawning that emotionalism and intellectualism could walk hand in hand. It took an

Pointless Points

2008-11-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

When I’m grading, I’m both evaluating myself as a teacher and my students as learners. Assigning grades and points become an internal moral struggle.I think about what I know about this student. “Oh, that makes sense that he likes poetry, even though he’s pretty ‘cool.’ I’ve seen his soft side, when he’s quiet, smiling slowly.” “She’s super quiet and I don’t spend enough time with her; look at

Enabling and Empowering

2008-11-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

Mason asked me to buy him lunch.George said he was hungry.In a school where I know some of these requests are more than idle adolescent chatter, I have to say no.Though my conscience pricks, and I pause between bites of my pear, and I know I have $.50 in my wallet for Mason's milk, I have to say no.I've toyed with the idea of bring a big tub of apples to school every morning for students who

More Money for Education...Spent on What?

2008-11-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Why is it politicians think spending more money on facilities and technology is going to improve the public school system?There are schools sitting empty all over the country. Technology is great and important, but without teachers to guide students to meaningful uses of technology, what does it do?If we hired twice the number of teachers we have now, class sizes would be halved, students would

Reflections on Being an English Teacher

2008-10-23T18:45:00.001-07:00

1) I am glad that I get to evaluate students' performance, instead of a fatalistic scan-tron multiple choice test. Even if the spelling is illegible and the writing a bit short, if a student who has been historically behind starts to get the concept, I can write so much bold encouragement he might just keep writing about how he gets that concept.2) Every day is a roller coaster of emotion,

Figures of Speech

2008-10-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

My students wrote these. And I think they're AWESOME.SIMILESHis bark exploded like fireworks on the Fourth of July.Me getting an A on my math test is like a dead person coming alive.His eyes shone like the light from the sunMy friend is as solid as a rock.My sister is annoying like a fly.Poetry is as boring as church music. Boo! I like both church music and poetry. Hopefully she'll come around.

Good Girls

2008-10-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

"What makes a good girl?"This was the question I posed to the female half of my class. My mentor had taken the boys to another classroom and was reading a text about male peer pressure. We girls had just read a story called "I Ain't No Good Girl" about teen girl in an abusive relationship. We talked about what we had read."White.""Straight A's.""Flat.""Involved at school.""Always in a group with

It All Comes Out in the Wash

2008-10-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

My students are awesome.We asked them to write about an experience they've had and a belief that came from that: a personal narrative. Here are excerpts from their writer's memo, explaining their thinking behind the writing."I want my readers to feel that even if they have problems in their life, they can work them out with the help of their family.""I enjoyed writing about my childhood again.""I

Confession

2008-10-02T15:31:00.001-07:00

I cannot meet all my students' needs.And it breaks my heart.

Globalization

2008-09-28T20:47:00.001-07:00

I pledge allegiance to the earthand all the life which it supports.One planetin our care,irreplaceable,with sustenance and respect for ALL.

Surmounting the Substitute Stigma

2008-09-18T19:11:00.001-07:00

A week ago I observed a substitute teacher take over for a science teacher who was sick that day.I was shadowing a student for a day to reflect on what student life is like within the high school context. It was fascinating to see how students I had in my classroom behaved in other classrooms. I hugged the periphery of the rooms, trying to remain as unobtrusive as possible. Students who were

Electric Violinist Rocks School

2008-09-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

"Moooommmmmm! Can I get a quitar?" pleads the young Mark Woods in my mind."No. Keep practicing your violin!"Maybe that's how this electronic violinist, bent on transforming orchestras known for playing the sleep-inducing music of dead white guys into rockin, fist pumpin groups of string players, first started seeing the connection between classical stringed instruments and the rock music he

Jane: the Original YAL

2008-09-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

This morning I was sitting in the English department office when a student wandered in and started gushing to her teacher about how much she liked the book they were reading.It was Pride and Prejudice.What?Since starting at the high school, I've learned about the wonder of Young Adult Literature (YAL). This genre of books is written specifically for teens. Teachers use them to help students learn

Religious Holidays

2008-09-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

Two of my students have been sick the last week. I was worried about them and their assumed flu bugs, hoping the rest of my class wouldn't catch the same virus.But when they got back on Thursday, I learned why they'd been sick.It's Ramadan. It started September 1 this year.Silly me. I'm ashamed I didn't realize.During Ramadan Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, no food nor water. So of course

Prereqs for Teaching

2008-09-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

Supreme understanding of the contentUnending listening and compassionFirmly held high standards for studentsOngoing learner attitudeFancy pens/markers for gradingFolder upon folder of examples and worksheetsClothes that are attractive and subtleSuperior immune systemWe'll see how I do on the rest, but I've failed the last one.Those stinkin freshmen. A hundred of them go through our classroom

Schools as Battlegrounds

2008-08-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

"Be safe," Dad says."I'm a teacher, Dad. I'm so safe," I reply broadly."You're teaching high school students. They have guns and knives," he warns me, ever concerned about my safety.In a time when high schools are often viewed as physical battle grounds, I'm learning about how schools can me psychological battle grounds.[For the record, my high school is rarely a physical battle ground. There's

The DNC comes to town

2008-08-24T19:02:00.001-07:00

I am so glad I live in this city.Here's some things I've seen today, walking around downtown and the civic center.First Miguel and I went to the Frontier Fest, which was full of vendors and kiosks all about sustainable products. It was in the sculpture garden just south of the Convention Center and it was HOT out.We saw a booth called: Toss Out Fossil Fuels, in which you tried to knock off the

Bilingual Education

2008-08-24T18:16:00.001-07:00

Too many times I have heard people say, “Why don’t they learn English?” or “They have to learn English.”First of all, most immigrants and refugees I know do want to learn English. But for adults, there’s not enough English speakers willing to teach them. So my retort should probably be: “Why don’t you teach them?”Secondly, just because people want to learn English doesn’t mean they want to give