June 2011
3 posts
Cloud Gazing
Assistant Principal: Excuse me, can I speak to you in the hallway for a moment?
Me: Sure...
Assistant Principal: I'm concerned that some of your boys might be high.
Me: Which ones?
Assistant Principal: Aidan, Ryan, and Justin.
Me: What?! Why?
Assistant Principal: Well, they're standing by the window overlooking the courtyard and they're just staring at the clouds. I didn't smell anything on them, but could you keep an eye on them?
Me: [laughing] Oh. No. They're not high. They do that everyday before class.
Sometimes, my kids are strange; sometimes, they're endearing; mostly, they're both.
May 2011
13 posts
Reasons I Love Teaching High School
When my kids surprise me: Thursday was International Night at school, and it’s always one of my favorite events. We have so many different cultures at FHS, and they get a chance to dress up in traditional outfits and perform songs and dances. I couldn’t help but grin with pride as I saw Surbhi and Akshitha, two of my very quiet and studious Honors kids, light up as they performed...
“Among other things, you’ll find that you’re not the first person who...”
– J.D. Salinger- The Catcher in the Rye I don’t care if it’s become some sort of trendy cliche. I love Catcher, and sometimes I’m simultaneously concerned and amazed at how well I understand Holden.
Overheard in the Workroom
Student: [taking a quiz with a small group of other students] I have a question. What's a "round" character?
Teacher: [incompetent long-term special ed sub] You know, like a character who is large. Big. Fat.
Me: ...
Reasons I Love Teaching High School
In the spirit of Design Mom (who truly brings me sanity everyday after work when I read her blog while munching on my gummy vitamins), I decided that Driving Barefoot needs a weekly “thing.” Every Friday she does “A Few Things,” and she shares cute links and ideas that she’s gathered throughout the week. So I decided that at the end of each week, I would do...
Testing SWAT Team
My kids are idiots. One of them got on Twitter on his phone during the AP Econ exam. He tweeted ABOUT the AP Econ exam. Watch out, buddy. College Board is coming.
The Caine Prize →
Did you know there’s a literary award for African fiction called the Caine Prize? And that they honor short stories every year, and provide links to full text on their website? There are some incredibly powerful stories here, stories that should be part of the high school curriculum…
Fix It
I’ve been having one of those weeks. Well, really it’s been a couple of weeks, but “I’ve been having one of those fortnights” sounded a little too presumptuous and Shakespearean. In any case, it’s that time of year when I start to question what I’m doing. When I come home from work feeling like I’ve just run a marathon. When I start to have angsty...
Let Me Keep My Illusions
Student: Hey, do you want to know why Caroline's nickname is "50 yard line"?
Me: Nope. Not even a little bit.
Today's Literary Term: Irony
Tuesday: English department meeting after school, during which we will discuss yet again how to improve SAT scores and I will leave dejected, feeling myself reduced to a glorified Kaplan tutor. Oh, and then I’ll speed home to eat rice cakes on the way to grad school. Wednesday: Faculty meeting, 8:00am. Almost 100% guaranteed to be mindless and soul crushing. 8:45 am: I will race down the...
