“If history were taught in the form of stories it would never be forgotten.” — Rudyard Kipling I have always thought of history as one big story of us. But somehow that idea seems lost on most students. It’s a shame. I try to teach history in the form of stories. Unfortunately pesky things like [...]
“When you speak your words echo only across the room. But when you write, your words echo down the ages.” — Bud Gardner So I love writing… but like many casual writers, I often have trouble getting started. And if I have problems getting started, I know my students have trouble. How do teachers deal [...]
As part of my real job, I routinely read blogs about social networking, privacy, and security. While scrolling through a tech blog, I ran across the article at the end of the post. It jumped straight out at me. A tech and education article in one! And a topic that have a wrestled with throughout [...]
“The best gift of all: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in one another.” It truly is the best thing of all. It would be wonderful if all my students came from the perfect happy family, but I know that’s not reality. I have had students that came from many types [...]
I have a plain black and white composition notebook that I carry around with me everywhere. It resides in my big pink bag with a few pens, a reading book or two, various mail pieces, and a laptop. I could get rid of everything in the bag except for the composition book (and a pen [...]
For the past few weeks, I have been volunteering in one of my children’s classes. After seeing the way another teacher runs the classroom and trying to integrate myself into that structure, I started thinking about this whole concept. Parent Volunteers… Do teacher like them? Loathe them? Struggle with control? Welcome with open arms? Try [...]
As part of my other job, I peruse a lot of tech centered blogs. From Some Teachers, Excitement About Classroom Tech by Joshua Brustein on Bits: Business, Innovation, Technology, and Society from the Mew York Times caught my eye the other day. Also, I have been interested lately how teachers are using technology in their [...]
“Mrs. Jones once cried in front of her class. A girl came running up to me in the hall after I had dismissed my class, saying ‘Come comfort Mrs. Jones.’ I didn’t know what she meant, but it sounded bad. When I got there, Mrs. Jones was at her desk sobbing, mascara running Tammy Faye [...]
“My boyfriend, Jim, has so many conspiracy theories. I think he gives people too much credit. I so rarely meet a single person who is very well organized, or with any direction. What are the chances of meeting a whole group? But then, when I’m sitting at these teacher’s meetings, I think maybe Jim is [...]
“The idea: time travel through books. I left the machine [a cardboard box basically] in the classroom, buckled and locked closed with lots of signs all over it: ‘Top secret!’… The big question buzzing: Is it real? Does it really work? A tricky question. I recollect clambering over laundry bags in the back of my [...]