“Three x minus nine?” I heard one of the guys say. There were three of them huddled together near the classroom door. The semester was drawing to a close. Our last lesson with new material was behind us. What remained was a day or two of review and then the final. These guys were taking […]
Category Archives: Default
Automating Inequality
Fri, 27 Dec 2019, 10:27 AM (-06:00)
A book: “Automating Inequality” by Virginia Eubanks. Some notes… The book is a remarkably specific, in-the-trenches look at the role that automation is having in our country, how despite its patina of objectivity, the technology is contributing to a new kind of growth of inequality in American society. The argument is based on three case studies: […]
Color Aberration
Thu, 26 Dec 2019, 08:50 PM (-06:00)
We had gone thru a page or two of notes. The usual routine: daily topic at the top, underlined with a straight, black line; objectives next, with the word “objectives” underlined with a squiggly line; same with “vocabulary” next. And so on. To the more observant of the kids, there’s a pattern to these notes. […]
Adopt-a-Family
Sun, 8 Dec 2019, 10:25 AM (-06:00)
1. Adopt-a-Family In years past, as successful as Adopt-a-Student day was, it was a bit awkward for adopted middle school kids to take their gifts home when none of the rest of the household would have anything. Nothing for the brothers or the sisters or the parents. So this year it was Adopt-a-Family. Each person in […]
In Third Person
Sun, 8 Dec 2019, 09:10 AM (-06:00)
I don’t know what they were talking about. Maybe it was the red and green streamers that several of the boys had put up in the room. Or maybe it was the fancier streamers that several of the girls had put up on the other side. Or maybe it was something about the cookies we […]
Hot Pastrami Sandwich
Sat, 7 Dec 2019, 10:18 PM (-06:00)
“Can I ask you a question?” She was making me a hot pastrami sandwich, which is the special this week. I had told her I was a math teacher to justify the book I had been reading while I waited in line, and it evidently made her think of something. I looked at her, a […]
Winter Concert
Sat, 7 Dec 2019, 06:23 PM (-06:00)
It was dark in the auditorium when I got there. There were lots of people, but it was quickly obvious that this was because the Intermediate School band was performing in addition to the two High School bands. In spite of the traffic, I had made it in time. Surrounded by darkness and in hopes […]
Daily Notes
Sun, 1 Dec 2019, 09:49 AM (-06:00)
It’s common for students to walk into class before the bell and as they make their way to their assigned seats to ask, “Are we taking notes, Mister?” I usually chuckle. They know what that means, because we have notes almost every day. Part of what I’m teaching them is how to communicate well, and […]
The Need for Practice
Sun, 1 Dec 2019, 09:34 AM (-06:00)
After the test, a student came up to my desk. He was holding a homework assignment that was due that day. “Do you have the answers, Mister?” I generally provide answers to the problems so that they can check their own work. It’s reassuring when I see them checking, since it suggests that they are […]
Thankful For A Slice of Pie
Thu, 28 Nov 2019, 07:45 PM (-06:00)
It was the last day before the Thanksgiving holidays. Each period was going to take a test (easy to plan for). It was sixth period. The day was almost done. The students started filing into the classroom. The sixth period kids all tend to arrive in one great mass. So the room was filled with […]