I have been teaching in a district that I love for twelve years, following two years doing long-term substituting and my student teaching. It was my first choice for where I wanted to get a contract. At the time, the high school I taught in was small enough that I easily knew all the kids in […]
High School
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Literacy, Middle School, Uncategorized
Finding Narrative: A English Teacher's Struggle
In my brain lives a little monster. I know I’m not alone. We all have little monsters lurking in our skulls. They hate anything rest related and love to do things like leap up and down and shout, “DID YOU SET THE ALARM FOR 5???” …right as sleep is about to overtake you. At the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Middle School
The Media and Teachers..A Lens to the Truth
I knew I was getting old when in my fifth year of teaching I was watching “Saved by the Bell” and I thought, “Geez, these kids are never in class and where are the teachers?” It was one of those moments that always stayed with me. It seems in media, there are only three types […]
Posted inCommon Core, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Celebrating the Genres in Anne Frank's Diary
Anne Frank: The Diary of Young Girl transcends the labels of genre. Yes, as the title suggests, it is a diary, but it is also a memoir, a narrative, an argument, an expository journal, an informational text, and much more. Yet, these genres listed are treated as separate and distinct in the reading and writing standards of the Common Core (CCSS). The […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Uncategorized
The 5 Words Your Resume Should Never Use
In today’s changing economy, finding a job is a job in and of itself. Unfortunately, it’s not one you’re getting paid for (usually), and the lack of a superior to turn to for guidance can make it difficult to know where you’re going wrong. Recent reports and surveys show that it may be your […]
Posted inHigh School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Surviving those Five Stages of Writing Curriculum
Who wants to rewrite curriculum this summer? (Anyone? Anyone?…..) Let’s be honest. Writing or rewriting curriculum is a ongoing process that, while necessary, is not always seen as the most positive experience. Moreover, the suggestion of spending summer days writing curriculum (paid or unpaid) may trigger range of emotions, some strangely akin to the model offered by Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book, On […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Principals' Corner
Why Teachers Leave – and Possible Solutions
On paper, teaching seems like the perfect job. Summers at home, the workday ends at three, you’re off when your kids are off, and we get to work with children all day long. I mean, what more could one possibly want? As with life, things are not always what they seem. Teaching is hard. Parenting is […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Information in Google Doodles Build Background Knowledge
That letter “O” morphing on your search engine for Mother’s Day?That spinning Globe for Earth Day?Those jigging leprechauns for St. Patrick’s Day?These are all the Google Doodles from 2015 to celebrate holidays. There are also Google doodle tributes to individuals. Emmy Noether (physicist), Laura Ingalls Wilder (author), and Anna Atkins (botanist) have been featured in doodles this […]