Every year, I get to the part in my high school curriculum where I start to introduce Shakespeare's Macbeth. And every year, the students complain. "Why do we have to read this?" "What's even the point of Shakespeare?" "I don't understand anything that's happening right now." "What is this?!" And every year, I tell them [...]
Teenagers are weird and stupid. They make rash, half-cocked decisions creating consequences that bring parents to their knees. Since our oldest became a teenager two school years ago, I have prayed so frequently that my deceased, Catholic grandparents would be proud. I am not a good Christian or particularly spiritual, but being a mom of [...]
As teachers, we are always trying to get our students to read more. Reading is important in helping our students grow as critical thinkers and expanding their view of the world around them. However, at times, it can be difficult for students to choose their own books. Some students struggle to get into any book [...]
Last year, I taught The Princess Bride in my classroom, which is a fairy tale satire. To make sure my students understood what, exactly, William Golding was making fun of, we spent about six days taking a deep look at fairy tales. I was amazed at the conversations we had. Students were struck by how the place [...]
Many of my current sophomores were not alive on the day the world stopped turning. Most of my students are fifteen-years-old — these adolescents are the post-911 generation. They know no other reality than the war on terror. And yet, they know so little about the events of that tragic day. For example, when asked, [...]