Teaching High School: Trying Again

Educator Readings

Gotham Writers' Workshop: Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York's Acclaimed Creative Writing School
As much as I would love to take on of the courses online with this book, this book is much cheaper ($15 vs $350) and possibly will be just as good.
William Glasser: The Quality School: Managing Students Without Coercion
I saw Glasser speak a few years ago. Just as powerful in person as this book is in your lap and then in your mind.
Neil Postman: The End Of Education : Redefining the Value of School
From the back of the book: "...today's schools promote the false 'gods' of economic utility, consumerism, technology, or ethnic separatism and resentment."
W. James Popham: The Truth About Testing: An Educator's Call to Action
Shows much more than I thought possible about the dangers of too much testing. (*****)
Martin L. Gross: The Conspiracy of Ignorance: The Failure of American Public Schools
This affirms for me many thoughts I have had about the public schooling system in the US. (*****)

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Trying Again

It has been nine months since I made any progress here. Much has changed. I am now teaching in my own room, teaching one subject, and teaching an extra class for which they pay me an additional 1/6 of my salary. It has been a better year, but not without its trials. Keeping that in mind, that there are trails, I want to take a new tact with this blog, one that will hopefully allow me to keep my sanity and see the positive side of what I do.

My new tact is to record the funny things kids say. They are often a funny bunch, because they are so young, but they are also sometimes truly comedic.

For a first entry on funny students, I turn back to the day before Christmas Break back in December. I was showing a movie as many teachers did that Monday and Tuesday, and a young man came to my desk. I was expecting a request to go to the bathroom, but it was better than that.

"Can I have a candy cane?" from said young man.

"Sure, so long as you get any mess and wrapper in the trash, please," from me.

"Oh. Don't you have one for me?"

"No, no I don't." I waited politely until he was out of earshot on his way back to his seat to say to the two girls in front of me, "What was that all about?" to which we all giggled.

Sunday, January 23, 2005 at 10:44 AM in Students | Permalink

The comments to this entry are closed.

Teaching High School

...the funny things kids say (which is better than chronicling all the stuff that makes you mad)...

Educators

Other Blogs of Note

Educator Readings

Site Tracking

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Trying Again

Comments

About

Book Crossing

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories