Earlier today, a kid that I’ll call Martin peeked into my office to say hello. When he left, I told my officemate how Martin and I started off on a horrible note and how things between us are far different today. Martin is one of …
Read More“The best reading comprehension strategy is to be able to read the words on the page.”
I read this quote in an Instagram post whose author I cannot recall so I can’t give the appropriate credit. The quote came to me today while working in a classroom where the kids were getting ready for next week’s state exams by working on …
Read MoreThey’re not “scholars”, they are f*%&$#g children!
I’m curious to know who decided to refer to kids as “scholars”. As I wrote in my book, the word “scholar” conjures visions in my mind of bearded Renaissance gentlemen who stroke their beards as they contemplate the weighty issues of human existence. The reason …
Read MoreKids are not pawns
The state I live in has chosen to spend its resources on ensuring that kids do not ever get exposed to ideas that a small minority of people deem inappropriate such as gender identity. Recently, it was decided that an AP African-American Studies class was …
Read MoreLove don’t pay my bills
We got our first paychecks that reflect the raise that our union fought for on our behalf. Before taxes, my “raise” comes out to around $68.20. Once Uncle Sam takes his cut, there’s enough left for a couple of pizzas or maybe a tank full …
Read MoreWe’re all instructional designers!
It seems that every other teacher who is leaving the profession is becoming an industrial designer. It’s as if all of these departing educators have been suppressing their graphic designer ambitions all this time. Is it possible that there are so many people out there …
Read MoreSisyphus of the Classroom
As a special ed teacher, part of my job is to “push into” classrooms and assist my kids as they do their class work. The law is specific about the distinction between “pushing in” vs “pulling out”. The latter refers to taking kids out of …
Read More“Kid can’t read at seventeen/the words he knows are all obscene/but it’s alright”
For this year’s state exams, my school has a target rate of something like 57% proficient. This means that almost half of the kids across the entire school are not expected to demonstrate grade-level reading and writing abilities by the end of the school year. …
Read MoreKeeping the faith
I work in a Title 1 public school with a predominantly Black population. Our current goal is for something like 55% of the school to score “Proficient” on this year’s state exams. This means that we admit that almost half of the kids are not …
Read MoreHere we go….
It’s been a while since I wrote 12s Can’t Get 3s. I live far away (both physically and emotionally) from Exemplary Charter Schools. I’m now a special education teacher in a Title 1 public school. From this vantage point it’s easy to see just how …
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