education
-
My Top 10 Books of 2015
It’s time again for the list of books that I enjoyed most this year. As always, only some of these books were published in 2015, but they were all a part of my 2015 experience. The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For You know me: always on the cutting edge of 30-year-old cultural touchstones. After… Continue reading
-
What Do Students Need to Learn About Learning?
If I could change one thing about the education system, particularly the pre-university and professional college system in which I work, it would be this: Students would learn a lot more about learning. I have a fantasy in which I go back to school to do a doctorate in educational psychology, and then I overhaul… Continue reading
-
Help for the Restless Reader
In recent years, I’ve become a restless reader. I just can’t relax. Maybe it’s because I spend so many weeks of the year reading stuff I don’t feel like reading, including some really terrible writing, because I’m an English teacher. Maybe it’s because the Internet age has broken my brain. Maybe it’s because I’m an… Continue reading
-
My Top 10 Books of 2014
It’s time again for the list of books that I enjoyed most this year. As always, only some of these books were published in 2014, but they were all a part of my 2014 experience. This year’s list is compromised slightly by the introduction of the Summer Book Club, a totally fun summer project in… Continue reading
-
A Book Blog For Teachers
Friend and reader Tara Warmerdam just pointed me to her wonderful blog, A Reading Corner for Teachers and Writers. I’m so glad she did: she writes about books in a way that is meant to be helpful to teachers, and it really is. Some recent posts discuss a great book about teaching Shakespeare to young people, using picture books in… Continue reading
-
What’s the Use of the Academic Paper?: Blogiversary Post #9
I’m still asking myself this question – “Is the academic paper the best way for students to demonstrate their learning?” – three years after publishing the original version of this post. In the interim, I’ve listened to the audiobook of Now You See It (discussed below), and I’m still not sure whether I’m onside with Davidson’s… Continue reading
-
The Art of Cold Calling: Blogiversary Post #7
I’ve had some heated discussions about whether “cold calling” is good practice. When I posted about it a couple of years ago, the post got a lot of comments and got passed around a lot. What are your thoughts? Is it a good idea to spring questions on students out of the blue? Does it help… Continue reading
-
A Course Plan for Literary Appreciation and Analysis: Blogiversary Post #6
I struggle with conflicting philosophies about my job. I teach English literature (as well as language and composition) as core curriculum in CEGEP, a transitional/professional college that all Quebec students must attend before moving on to university or to many professions. My classes are therefore comprised of students of wildly varying levels of ability and interest… Continue reading
-
Essay Structure: The Cake Analogy: Blogiversary Post #5
Here’s a nice little post with a link about using a “layer cake” analogy to explain essay writing to students. I’ve never actually used this analogy, but apparently a bunch of other people have, because the original post got a LOT of shares. So if your students aren’t getting how to put an essay together,… Continue reading
-
Triumph Over Burnout: Blogiversary Post #4
At the beginning of the new school year, some of us feel refreshed and eager; others, not so much. If you’re filled with dread at the thought of vacation’s end (not the ordinary oh-I-wish-I-could-read-novels-on-the-deck-forever dread, but the more acute why-am-I-doing-this-with-my-life dread), then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate: is teaching really what you want to do? For… Continue reading
About Me
My job is to teach people to read and write; aside from that, I like to learn things.
Classroom as Microcosm 