Teaching the Outsiders

• Illin’
  I’ve been one of the walking dead for the past several days (it feels like a hangover–or, ahem, so I’m told– with a cough). I finally called in for a sub this morning. I forgot that practically every math teacher in the district was supposed to be at their version of our “benchmark scoring day.” The difference with the math people is that they were required […]
• A Moment of Insightful Self-Awareness (and Then It’s Gone)
  I have one of those kids this year whom it’s really hard to get mad at because: 1) He’s funny, and 2) He just can’t help it. Really. When someone says something, and he reacts, you can almost see the marionette strings being yanked as he does one of those double-take head shakes like in the cartoons. He’s just thought of something to say…so out it comes. He […]
• “The Sub Used One of Your Sticks!”
  Before I get back to the district assessment scoring day, I have to give props to the sub (sorry, guest teacher) who filled in while I was eating snacks and reading papers and “calibrating.” The scene when I announce that I will be gone on a particular day plays out the same almost every time. The following is from last year when I wen to my units’ 50 annive […]
• The Future of Space Travel
  Ok, so… Almost all of my seventh graders, for years now, have prefaced every story or new thought with the words, “OK, so…” Do yours do something like that or is it just my quirky crew? I’m back and I no longer hate computers. Just anti-virus software. I digress once again, and I haven’t even started. Now that I have a working ‘net connection again, I can in […]
• Argh…Sometimes I Hate Computers!
  …even new ones. See you tomorrow. (Guess I coulda’ used Twitter for something like that, huh? Or Springface.) […]