I think this is the first snow day we’ve had all year.
The first thing you need to know about snow days for teachers is that most of us like them and look forward to them more than the students do. The reason is that not only do we get the day off, […]
Filed under: General Observations, Teaching on February 11th, 2008 | 2 Comments »
This is the response from one of my tenth graders to a homework question
Q: When foreign suppliers cut oil sales,or choose to sell their oil to other people, how should the United States respond?
A: First we face them politically and talk about a solution and if that doesn’t work do what the US does […]
Filed under: Politics, Teaching on February 7th, 2008 | Add Comment! »
At the beginning of most of my American History lessons I play a song to get my students thinking about the lesson. Friday I was teaching about Alexander Hamilton’s financial plan and so I wanted to use the Pink Floyd song “Money.” My kids are high school juniors, and I’ve been teaching long […]
Filed under: Teaching on November 17th, 2007 | Add Comment! »
Two events conspired over the past couple weeks that have made me feel “pre-old.”
For the last week of my summer vacation, I had all three of my daughters. With Small and the newly 10 year old medium, it was pretty much business as usual. My 12.8 year old daughter though, is […]
Filed under: General Observations, Teaching on September 22nd, 2007 | 1 Comment »
I’ve been back to work at school now for a week, which is why I haven’t been writing.
This year it was particularly hard to go back to work because for the first time in 15 years or so I actually had the whole summer off. People always comment that it must be […]
Filed under: Teaching on September 11th, 2007 | 1 Comment »
The following letter appeared in a small town newspaper, The Gates-Chili Post, in 1994 by Jean A. Black, CPA. Ms. Black was one of the most outspoken teacher bashers of her era, and this letter provoked a firestorm of response from local teachers.
“Teachers Wanted”
Applications now being accepted. Bachelor’s degree required and must work toward master’s […]
Filed under: General Observations, Teaching on August 4th, 2007 | Add Comment! »
I don’t know why, but there seems to be a big difference between the senseless killing at Virginia Tech and the shootings at Columbine almost 8 years ago to the day.
As a high school teacher, the killing at Columbine filled me with instant horror. I teach in a suburban high school with […]
Filed under: General Observations, Teaching on April 17th, 2007 | Add Comment! »
One summer I worked in a Delphi Automotive factory as part of a “show the teacher the real world” type program. It was sponsored jointly by the United Auto Workers and the management of the company. The purpose was to show teachers what technological skills were necessary for the workplace by employing us for […]
Filed under: General Observations, Teaching on April 5th, 2007 | Add Comment! »
When I teach my students about the Monroe Doctrine I tell them this story from my childhood. As with any good fable some of the details are embellished to protect and/or immortalize the innocent.
For those who weren’t paying attention that day in American History class, the Monroe Doctrine was President James Monroe’s […]
Filed under: Teaching, History on March 20th, 2007 | Add Comment! »
I’ve been kind of at odds with my union lately. It seems to me that in my experience with unions, which includes the National Education Association and the United Auto Workers, that unions can be at worst a reactionary force that turns back the wheels of progress, or at best, mindless defenders of the […]
Filed under: Politics, Teaching on March 18th, 2007 | Add Comment! »
