Time You Won’t Get Back
As I was saying to my Dear Mom via telephone on yesterday afternoon, this is the time of year when I feel a certain sense of loss. A sense of loss for things not accomplished, things I wanted to do, under-utilized/missed opportunities, and simply not enough time, energy and money to do it all, anyway. [...]
Cosmic Zombie
I assigned a webquest on “La Semana Santa” to two of my Spanish classes last week. The day was 11 April, which, incidentally, was my birthday, for which I took a personal day. Although La Semana Santa had already taken place, the webquest was worthy enough to be completed post-holiday. The students, for the most [...]
Do White Folks “Get It”?
This is not a post written with the intent to turn off my White readers. However, I hope they will read. The longer I live and work in majority (White) environments, the more I wonder: Do White folks get it? What is it that they don’t get? In my workplace, they don’t get issues around [...]
Waiting to Exhale Before I Choke
For the next two weeks, I am on March Vacation. Like most independent schools, my place of employ follows a traditional prep school calendar. Thus the reason my place of employ breaks in March for two weeks. Independent boarding schools take three weeks off, essentially closing things down for the month of March. I’ll admit: [...]
I’m Done
Are you able to recall an incident which greatly disappointed you, but, logically, it really should not have greatly disappointed you? My eighth grade Onesies greatly disappointed me recently, and, the situation is one that I really should not have taken so personally. The Situation: Approximately 50% of the class (there are 13 enrolled in [...]
Get ‘Er Done
As part of my campaign to raise the level of expectation in my seventh graders – both academically and behaviorally, I’ve instituted the following. Strategies are courtesy of Teach Like A Champion. 1. Procedures for Entering the Classroom* a. Go directly to seats. b. Set everything out that is needed for class. c. Place homework [...]
Where One Hopes for The Best, and Often Gets the Worst
Well, perhaps the second part of my post’s title is saturated in a bit of hyperbole. But, I’m going somewhere with this. So, please bear with me. Things in my corner of the world are going pretty well. As I tweeted yesterday morning to a FL colleague who teaches at an independent school in Charleston, [...]
The Culture of Expectation
I was talking with a friend recently – my asthetistician, to be exact, but I also consider her a friend – while getting my monthly professional facial treatment. We talked about the recent days-long power outage, our parents – hers about the same age as mine- and life in general. We then somehow got on [...]
The Power of Light
To those who are regular readers of my blog, I’ve been M.I.A. So, first, I would like to thank those who have continued to visit and to read, in spite of my absence. As some of you may know, Connecticut was devastated by an early winter snow storm on 10/29. Tens of thousands were left [...]
The First Day – Again
On Friday, which was yesterday, I officially embarked on my 18th year as an educator. It was a good day. Aside from the usual knuckle-headed behavior from a few 9th grade boys, the students seem interested in and willing to learn, albeit anxious, which may explain to some extent the knuckle-headed behavior from a few [...]
