Hedgetoad Teaching

At the AP institute last month, I was given a copy of a letter from 1999 detailing the value of AP and taking the AP exam in college admissions – even if the student did not pass. I mentioned having the letter to our vice-principal and had planned on handing it out on the first day of school to my AP students. Our VP asked for a copy because our AP program is apparently in jeopardy. It would appear that the $2500 dollars spent annually on it (plus, I suppose, numerous reams of paper) is too expensive. There is not enough ROI, as our student do not pass in droves. Instead of investing our achieving students, it appears that some feel the money could be used somewhere else. More books for the online school perhaps? Is it worth it? I would have to say yes for a couple of reasons. First, we are one of the few schools still offering AP courses. Everyone else has cut them. As our area practices ‘open enrollment’ this means that students from other districts can choose our school over the...

starting tomorrow morning... I'll be up at 5 am to get there on-time. Hopefully, I've learned something from observing all my students trying to sneak a peak at their cell phone and will be able to sneak my own peak to make sure the my brother survives the daycare drop off...

The class I gave up on yesterday and I had a frank discussion about what happened yesterday. I explained my frustration, remained calm and listened while they talked. As usual, it boiled down to miscommunication. Like when I say research for a paper I mean, find information and distill to use in a paper. The student definition was look at stuff on the web to use for a paper… someday. We also examined definitions for the words “work” and “prepared”. I’m sure it won’t surprise any teacher that their definition of ‘coming prepared to class’ means ‘walking through the door under your own power’ and everything else is a bonus. I wish I could write something pithy or funny about the scene, but really, it was 20 kids silently staring at me with slightly scared/guilty looks on their faces. They were still talking to me, but treading lightly. Then we came up with a compromise. I drew a calendar on the board and said, “these days I’m willing to schedule as work days” and asked them what they nee...

Did you ever have one of those days when you just felt like you were possibly the worst teacher ever? Your students have no respect for you, they’ve learned nothing and, in fact, everything you are doing is setting them back… possibly to elementary school days. Plus you suck. I have this never ending conscience battle with my AP seniors. There is a class they are all required to take. In this class, the teacher assigns an extensive research paper. The teacher chooses the topic theme, tells them the due date and never speaks of it again. Until, you know, the due date. The first year I taught AP seniors, I asked this teacher if I was supposed to do anything about this research paper. I was told “no, you don’t have to do anything, unless you want to”. This year the core senior English teacher spent nearly a month dragging those students through the process of writing the paper. He gave me all of his handouts (thank you!), and I gave my students two weeks to do their research. Apparently,...

One of my goals this year is to really get into purposeful teaching... I know, I know. If it doesn't have a purpose why are you teaching it? But let's be honest. Anything can have a purpose if the teacher is creative enough. My mentor teacher spent three days watching "Finding Nemo" and turned it into a really great spring board for an essay topic. The students really connected with the topic she drew a parallel to and it was probably the most worked on writing assignment the entire year. I am not that good. I posted on the English Companion Ning, looking for a planning buddy. I actually got way more replies that I thought I would. However, I have yet to really figure out the Ning technology. (You cannot believe how hard it was for me to type that... I am disgusted with myself. The fact is, I just don't have the time.) So, I'm posting what I've done so far here. I have a lot of great ideas. Many, many great ideas and materials from others, but it just fee...

When I lived in NYC, it always made my day when I found a new poem displayed in the subway car. Sitting alongside advertisements for English lesson and zit removal, it was a little pick me up amongst a sea of riotous ads. How's that for poetic? I never claimed to be good. The other day, I forgot to erase a poem I'd written on the board for one of my AP classes. A couple of sophomores mentioned it - one had seen it before; another asked what it meant... and suddenly an idea was born. If I post a short poem on the board and just never mention it, all of my students will assume it's meant for another class. They'll still read it, thinking it may be important, and get a little poetry in their lives. It's an idea anyhow.