It is Black History month. Some schools read a little quote in the morning from an African American author, some put on full programs, and others ignore it all together. One of the most terrifying things that could happen to this country is to forget where we come from. Black history is essential to understanding […]
Alice Trosclair
Alice has been teaching for fourteen years. She currently teaches English I, English III, English Language and Composition AP, and English Literature and Composition AP. She lives with her husband and son in south Louisiana. She also has hundreds of "adopted" children.
Posted inFeatured, Professional Development
New Teacher Support Systems: They Need Them!
Teaching is hard work, but the rewards are infinite. And for brand new teachers fresh out of college, those rewards seem really far away. We have colleges that are designed to teach teachers how to “teach,” but it is not until a person actually enters the classroom alone, can the true education begin. As our […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Why a Teacher Cannot have a Normal Life…
“Oh, you are a teacher? It must be so nice to have two months off. I have a normal job with only two weeks’ vacation.” We have all heard it. And to be honest, we are sick of it. Sure, we get summers “off.” I do not need to mention the workshops, lesson plans, and […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Beyond a Venn Diagram: Making Movies Work in the ELA Classroom
The students of today are not like the ones twenty years ago, ten years ago, or even five years ago. Our students are used to a world where images change every second. A world where you can buy music, movie, or a book instantly without even going to a store. If you assign a book, […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
Teaching with Controversial Topics
The purpose of an education is to create functioning members of society. It is not about what the author meant when he said this, or what degree of angle is this if the other two are this and that. It is about being able to identify a problem and solve it. Sometimes problems can be […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Choices: The Key to Differentiated Instruction
Students have choices. Choice is of the key elements on our new evaluation system, but sometimes I do not have time to offer students a choice. We all are busy, and thinking of new and creative projects is sometimes exhausting and frankly many do not meet the new common core standards. But incorporating choice makes differentiated instruction […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
New Year, New Start
There are so many incredible things about being a teacher. One of the many is the ability to have a fresh start. Every day is a chance to start over: reteach the lesson that fell apart yesterday, move the behavior clips back to the beginning, or even change how the desk are arranged. A new […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, School Improvement
Putting the "A" in AP
It seems as though everyone is jumping on the AP bandwagon. Schools are offering professional development and a variety of incentives to implement this program. Advance Placement courses are intended to replace freshmen level course at the college level. This allows high school juniors and seniors to receive college credit early. Sounds great, right? Well, […]