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a meandering musing on what matters, written mostly as a reminder to myself

I try to wrap my brain around why I cried after watching the first eleven minutes of Up. It had very little dialog and not a particular emotional musical score. It had very little exposition and a climax that was, quite honestly, predictable. Theme, perhaps? Read More...

2010 09 3

why it's hard to add my value

I yelled at my class today. It was hot and I was tired and we were all a little worn out from standing in a hundred and twelve degree heat. I apologized, but it was still humbling. For almost two hours we bumbled around the math lesson where I actually Read More...

2010 09 2

kind of makes W seem eloquent

I don't care where you stand on the political spectrum, but she sort-of makes George W seem eloquent. Yes, this is my state. The woman who is opposed to all things bilingual can't even manage to be lingual. Read More...

2010 09 2

exposing dystopia

I think all kids should have a set aside time to play with Plato; a time to meander through the deeper existential questions and engage in Socratic conversations. Let them run around on the playground of course, but also let them ask, not for the sake Read More...

Filed under:

education reform

2010 09 1

bad language

A reader e-mailed me with the comment, "I can't believe you posted a student's work that had such bad language." A few points in response to it: 1. I don't ascribe to the Victorian notion of vulgar language created to stratify classes and mock those who Read More...

2010 09 1

a quick reminder

Christy asked Joel for a list of names of people to sign his cast. "Momma, can you sign Granddaddy's name since he's not around anymore to sign it." Christy signed it and then cried. Sometimes I think we need little kids around to remind us that death Read More...

Filed under:

tutored by toddlers

2010 08 31

a kid left this at the table

. . . and I don't know whether to cringe at the sloppy grammar and poor imitation of hip hop or smile at the use of two of our vocabulary words (emancipation and interpretation) and a clear understanding of the story. Excuse the language if you're easily Read More...

2010 08 31

why don't books have trailers?

"I don't know who writes the backs of the books, but they don't do a very good job. It's a bland plot synopsis with a few catchy words," a student says. He is the same one that is quick to point out cliches, mentioning that the line, "My time hasn't come Read More...

2010 08 31

What makes math meaningful?

I used to believe that a subject had to have a direct application to life in order for it to become meaningful to students. At the same time, the applications were often clunky and artificial when forced upon us. For example, Lord of the Flies had little Read More...

2010 08 30

value-added parenting scores

"Hey, did you see your score?" "What do you mean?" "Yeah, your parent score? It's on the Times. I thought you were a good parent." "I am. I mean, I really love my children." "I know, but the Times thinks you're not preparing them for a life in the global Read More...

Filed under:

satire

,

current events

2010 08 29

time to ditch lesson plans

Someone could easily glance at the title and assume that I'm a lazy teacher and on certain days in the mid-winter, I might be tempted to take a seat or to drag my feet or to yearn for some sunshine, all the while slowing down into a bland melancholy. Read More...

2010 08 28

trying to understand my son

Joel is deeply philosophical, a thinker, an intellectual wanderer who struggles at times with the structures of school. Or not. See, I wrestle with whether or not I project my own personality on him as I try and understand who he is. I begin to wonder Read More...

2010 08 28

decisions, decisions

We're wrapping up Barefoot Heart in my class and I'm wishing I had chosen A Place to Stand or The Gangster We're All Looking For as the memoir instead. I introduced our next novel options to the class and it's a two-way tie: Catcher in the Rye Lord of Read More...

2010 08 28

visitors

Often times visitors show up and ask about the pencils. "How do you keep them so sharp?" or "How do they remain such a bright yellow?" or even "Do they have an eraser capacity?" They obsessively focus on the texture of the paper or the gloss on the shiny Read More...

2010 08 28

my litmus test

Our current state Superintendent of Public Instruction (an odd euphemism given the fact that the state has taken so many measures to pull the the "public" from public instruction) is a former lawyer turned board member turned superintendent of the wealthiest Read More...

2010 08 27

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