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Book Review: The Hunger Games
Kids killin’ kids for TV viewing pleasure? Great tween reading fun! I just finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins . It took me awhile to get a hold of it because the minute I brought it into my classroom
Budget Cut Victim – Textbook Adoption
We just got word that we will not have our scheduled textbook adoption for ELA this year as planned. I have to admit, it is disappointing. I mean, yes it meant I was going to be out of the classroom
Budget Cuts trim away the CAT6 – somehow we’ll survive
So we’re at my department meeting yesterday, and my head announces that due to budget cuts, we won’t be administering the CAT6 this year. There was this pause in the room that suggested suppressed sarcasm.
XWikiWorkspaces
I thought I’d share a little of what I’m doing in the classroom with XWikiWorkspaces. So, going off the frustrating fact that my district is blog-o-phobic, I was wracking my brain in how to teach internet literacy while still catering
Second-Career Teachers…Aren’t we All?
The Illinois News-Gazette recently reported an increase in second career teachers. But, really, aren’t we all second-career teachers? I mean, unless we bopped from high school to a BA to an education program and landed directly into the teaching field,
CUE 2009
I have two sessions that I will be presenting at CUE in March this year. I thought I’d share a little of what I sent to them to give you a little preview of what I’m going to be talking
Fundraising Mafia
I’m being stalked by two of the tiniest, cutest 7th graders I’ve ever seen. Big eyes. High voices. You know the type. They are apparently the heavies for Yearbook, sent out into the wilds of 8th period to swing open
The Carnival in in town!
Welcome, citizens to the Carnival of Education #197. The transition should be smooth…Enjoy.
Obama and World of Warcraft
Where were you when? It’s a question I asked my readers and my classes the day after the election, and you know what answer I heard the most often? Ironforge.
Hola, soy redesignated…
So, please, somebody tell me how this scenario is best for the child: Recently, I received a student, a full quarter into the school year, from our ELD classes. That’s not the problem as much as the fact that she
Where were you when…?
Man walked on the moon. JFK assassination. Shuttle explosion. 9/11. Obama elected president. Where were you when history was made last night? Clearly, not all of these rank quite as high as the memories from last night, but there are
Grammar Snafu and Dances with the Stars
OK, I admit it. I’m a Dances with the Stars Fan. Although I do believe that the series has jumped the shark with the group hip-hop number two weeks ago (did we really need to see Cloris Leachman in short-shorts?),
The Carnival of Education is in town
This week’s carnival is hosted by Leading from the Heart. Enjoy! -TT
“Hit a Jew” Day. Um, er…
I’m not sure what one can say about this latest story. AP reports that a number of students at a St Louis middle school are facing suspension for a spirit day gone awry. But how “Hug a Friend Day” de-evolved
Book Review (sorta): Thoughts on Neal Shusterman’s The Schwa Was Here
So I just finished reading Neal Shusterman’s The Schwa Was Here. I know, I know. For all you librarians out there, you’re probably saying: “What? It took you THIS long to read it? Jeesh, what kind of tweenteacher are you?”
Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
You know when you enjoy a book so much you begin to slow down towards the end just to make the sweetness last? Well, Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book is one of those. NG writes with a rhythm in his
Innovative Learning Conference ’08
Well, I’m off to San Jose to present at the ILC. I’ll be presenting my session, “Podcasting with 50 Middle Schoolers – RU Crazy?!” It isn’t just about podcasting. It’s also about the evolution of a tech-tentative Language Arts teacher
Get out there and Vote
Wish this was G-rated to show the kids, but I thought I’d share it with you guys instead. Great message. Enjoy. -Tweenteacher
When it works, it’s amazing!
I’m referring, of course, to my new Interactive Whiteboard. I think I’m going to name my second child Promethean.
The Excitement Graph: Plot and Word Choice
Every year, I do this activity when teaching Narrative Plot. I’ve used it from 3rd grade to 12th grade. I learned a version of it first in 1993 at a UCLA Extension class on “Teaching Reading to Secondary Students” and
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