It’s not even a month into the school year and already it’s clear that my 7th period has a problem. Overall, they seem like a nice group of kids. They participate, they ask questions, and they are pretty easy to redirect if we get off task…but still, there is a problem. The problem is that […]
High School
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Why I Don’t Assign Homework
Homework: The eternal struggle of student, parent, and teacher. I see it all over my Facebook feed and Twitter feed. The lament of parents bemoaning the amount, the complexity, or the sheer ridiculousness of their children’s homework. Homework seems to be the bane of everyone’s existence, doesn’t it? Teachers hate grading it; students hate doing […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Series
Close and Critical Reading: What’s the Point?
This is the fourth post in a series about teaching Close and Critical Reading. The first post explaining what CCR is can be found here, the second on summary is here, and the third on writer’s craft is here. The third portion of Close and Critical Reading (CCR) asks the students: Why did the author write this? […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Why We Write from Day 1
On the first day of each new school year, after introductions and a syllabus review, I make a promise to each of my classes. “I can promise that other than the state tests over which I have no control, you will never take a test in my class.” (Queue nods of approval and general happy […]
Posted inHigh School, Opinion
Teaching is Such a Racket
As an educator in a close knit community, I am an easy target for disgruntled community members. I would love to believe that people flock to me the way they might flock to an adored film or rock star that first week of school. Occasionally parents will stop me to tell me about the success […]
Posted inCommon Core, Current Events in Education, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, Opinion
My Experience with TNCore – the Tennessee State Standards
Tennessee’s State Department of Education adopted standards labeled TNCore, modeled after the controversial Common Core. As an English and Language Arts (ELA) teacher of nine years, I would like to share my experiences with these standards at the high school level. Common Core (CC) was created with good intentions. Its creators wanted to ensure that […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Some Advice on Writing College Essays
The SAT and ACT are taken, scores received. The transcripts bundled with a plethora of application pages. The FAFSA and other financial information finally finished after hours of telephone calls, online services, old receipts and bank statements gathered. Yes, one of the most exciting and stressful elements of senior year is the college application […]
Posted inClassroom Management, High School, Literacy, Opinion
"I'm Her Favorite Student!"
“I’m her favorite student!” I’ve heard that phrase over and over in the eighteen years I’ve been working around schools and the short seven years of my teaching career. I never deny it, or even acknowledge whether or not it’s true. I usually just smile and nod, yet students still say it. Since I’ve heard it a […]