Classroom
Why Teachers Need to Laugh by Leanne Shirtliffe
I love Leanne Shirtliffe. But that is no big whoop because everyone loves Leanne Shirtliffe. That’s why she has 4,379 followers on Twitter. By the time this posts, she will have 247 more followers….
Substitute Preacher by Zach Sparer #twits
Today’s guest blogger is Zach Sparer. I first met Zach in 1999 as a student in my 11th grade English class. He was in 5th period. I remember this because 5th period was rough for me. I was pregnant with Monkey, and I was tired. Really tired. In fact, I usually hurled right before 5th period….
L'il Miss Attitude
Every year, I study my new class rosters and practice saying the names aloud so I don’t sound like a total dork on the first day. One year, I was feeling pretty good until I came to one particular name. I didn’t know what to do with it. And I certainly didn’t expect the interaction that followed….
School Is Not the Time To Make Friends
In 1976, we had so many opportunities to practice civility. It was okay to have a little chitter-chatter time built into our day. The classroom was where we learned our academics, but we also practiced our social skills. These days, I would imagine that most administrators would tell parents that there is simply not time for idle chitter-chatter. In fact, a few years ago an administrator told me that “school is not the place for children to make friends.” She argued that kids needed to get involved in extra-curricular activities to make friendships. That teachers needed to make the most of classroom time to prepare their students for standardized tests. That teachers have more to teach than ever.
In 2010, I would argue “the civility piece” has fallen out of the curriculum — along with idle time….