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I’m Not Blocked. I’m Obsessively Diverted.
What does it mean to be “blocked”? Is it possible for a “block” to be a diversion, a new inspiration, a productive distraction? Or is it just laziness? Right now, I am “blocked” in a number of ways. I’ve been working on a novel for the last ten years. I use the term “working on”… Continue reading
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RIP Mister Cat
You may have wondered about my avatar. You’re right: it’s not me. It’s the delightful Mister Cat, who, unfortunately, left us last week for the kitty beyond. He was an excellent, orange, fuzzy friend to all who knew him, and I wanted to pay tribute to him for serving as my blog face for the… Continue reading
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Ten Wonderful Things, Part Eight: Blogging
The eighth of ten things I loved about this past term. #8: Blogging Some days, I teach because I blog. When I began this blog in 2007, I was seriously considering giving up teaching. It was just too hard. Then Vila H. convinced me that I needed to start blogging about something. Teaching is the… Continue reading
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Ten Wonderful Things, Part Four: Harry Potter
The fourth of ten things I loved about teaching this past semester. 4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone I’ve been doing a lot of reading about reading lately. Since I began teaching CEGEP, I’ve become aware of a problem that directly influences everything I do (or, at least, it should) but I don’t know… Continue reading
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Ten Wonderful Things, Part Three: Early Mornings
At least ten things went right this semester. This is the third one. 3. Early Morning Classes A few semesters ago, I requested the “early schedule” (8 a.m. – 4 p.m., as opposed to 10 a.m – 6 p.m.) for the first time. I had been relegated to the early schedule fairly often in my… Continue reading
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I Love This Alot
I was going to try to write a post today, but thanks to Adriana, I found this… The Alot Is Better Than You At Everything …so I don’t have to! It’s all about the fantastical creature “Alot,” and it makes me very happy. Now reading my students’ papers full of grammatical errors will be an… Continue reading
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Joanne Jacobs’ New Blog: Community College Spotlight
The always enlightening Joanne Jacobs has started a new blog, Community College Spotlight. Here’s a little info that she passed on to me earlier today: Nearly half of college-goers go to a community college. And when people talk about educating our way to prosperity, that will happen at community colleges — or not at all….Community… Continue reading
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What an “8th Grade Education” Used to Mean
The following, including the illustration, was sent to me this morning by my father. I did not write it, and I can’t vouch for its veracity, but if it’s authentic, it’s pretty stunning. If anyone can verify the original source, please let me know! What it Meant to Have an 8th Grade Education in 1895… Continue reading
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New Site: LearnBoost Education News
This weekend, Matthew Hunter, a graduate student at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, directed me to a site that he and some of his colleagues are launching this morning: LearnBoost Education News. The site description reads as follows: Education News is the place for people to read and share education… 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 