The new school year is off to an excellent start. My students are friendly and conscientious. They want to do well and be well. Most of the ninth graders are involved in some sport or physical activity after school, which…
Category: School Notes
September 1, 2010
This year is new in many ways: Two new English teachers: Ms Johnson and Ms Harter A renewed and vigorous view of technology (iPods in science classes!) A new 9th grade class (We ARE glad you are all here!) A…
Last day. . .
The walls are bare. Things are put away. I imagine if I shouted, there would be an echo in this classroom. The transition to summer is always tinged with complex emotions. We, who have built a community through the year,…
Sharing
I just added a new lesson to my Teacher’s Toolbox page. I started this page because there are good lessons that I am willing to share. We can all use a good idea now and then. The new lesson: Three…
Thinking again about poetry
Thanks, in particular, to Poets.org, National Poetry Month is an easy thing for teachers to add to their curriculum or school culture. It’s not always easy to get students to see value in poems, but if they can like a…
How do you pronounce?
Here’s a very cool site that everyone will need at some point in their life: howjsay . Just type in a word and click submit. I used it to verify a couple of AP vocabulary words that I thought I…
How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class | Edutopia
Teaching is about engaging students in meaningful activities so they can learn something relevant and important. It’s not about preaching from the pulpit like it might have been in earlier eras, where children were meant to sit quietly and absorb…
Out with textbooks, in with Shmoop
In the past week, I was asked to take a look at and promote two educational websites. Getting the word out about their wares may be best achieved through word of blog. I am happy to give them some press…
School Starts September 2
First Day: Connections. We welcome our new 9th graders to SFHS. The best thing about the new school year for everyone, not just for students, is that we all have an opportunity to begin anew, to reinvent ourselves. Here are…
April is Poetry Month
Poetry is one of my joys and it seems that I don’t enjoy it as much as I wish I could. I listen to Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac on my iPod, but inconsistently. I wish I could find a way…