All Blog Posts (7)

Evaluating my Student's First Quarter Progress...

In Nogales, we begin school the middle of the second week of August. We ended first quarter last week and I am exhausted already. Is it because I earnestly tried to meet the diverse needs of my freshmen and senior students, or is it because I spend so much time trying to get them to understand that "because they went out of town for the weekend" doesn't mean that they do not have to repect due dates? I find that writing lesson plans, expecting to follow them and move through our curriculum at a… Continue

Added by Toni Weingartner Vladimirova on October 16, 2009 at 11:46pm — 2 Comments

Pots boiling over

Just spent three days in various cities observing my student teachers at work. This is a great grounding experience for me every time I watch them work, but it also underlines the sheer difficulty of watching 4 pots boiling over on the stove and trying to serve up a gourmet meal. There is so much stimulus and all stimulus screaming for attention with seemingly equal importance. How did I do that period after period for 33 years?

Added by Sharon Porter on April 3, 2009 at 10:46am — No Comments

Teachers versus Students

At my school there is some tension developing lately around the idea that what is good for students is not the same as what is good for teachers. Some people are speaking -- and ocassionally operating -- as if the two categories are mutually exclusive. Please help me think more clearly on this issue (and perhaps get fired).

Added by andy knote on March 28, 2009 at 9:30am — 4 Comments

Here is another one I like by Liz Foster

Every summer I feel vague guilt about work undone, deep thoughts not thought, words not written. And even in summer I have dreams about school. This past summer was particularly haunted by my principal's invitation to share with the rest of the faculty of our high school a little "about what we value most about our vocation as teachers." These are my notes toward that sharing.

1. Thank you, Kevin, for focusing yet another summer for me. You've given me some weeks of hyper-alertness,… Continue

Added by Dan Mindich on November 2, 2008 at 11:29am — 1 Comment

FacultyShack Blasts from the Past. Here is one from good old Mr. Alden

As we start this project and following Carl's lead, I was thinking about FacultyShack pieces I have enjoyed, and while there are many, this one and a few others come to mind.

Dear Mr. Alden,

Have you ever read the classic book Black Like Me? Well, I have an idea. I think we should send some our nation's top leaders of industry, academia etc. into the schools of America and have them apply for teaching jobs. The result we would already know. They would be… Continue

Added by Dan Mindich on November 2, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments

Disillusioned in Duluth-- I wrote this when I was filling in for Mr. Alden. Self-Esteem and College Applications. Very Timely.

Disillusioned in Duluth

Dear Mr. Alden,

I am a new college counselor, and I just had my first class of graduating students last year. I came in with the idealistic vision of trying to find the colleges that are the best fits for the kids, but the kids just want to get into the highest rated school they can as defined by that ridiculous rating system in US NEWS and World Report. In the end, I found the process unsatisfying. Does that make me a bad… Continue

Added by Carl Bootinsky (AKA Mr. Booti) on October 17, 2008 at 4:24pm — No Comments

It is Time to Support our President- I wrote this a ways back but it applies today

It is Time to Support our President

by Carl Bootinsky

OK, so, I wrote an article a couple of years ago about why the show The Sopranos was good for kids, and some people wrote some really nice stuff like, "Mr. Booti, you rock." And other people said some weird things like calling me a "massagonist." That is pretty damn dumb because I never gave anyone a massage, but you know what? There isn't anything wrong with touching anyway, so I'm not going to get all bent out of shape… Continue

Added by Carl Bootinsky (AKA Mr. Booti) on October 17, 2004 at 5:00pm — No Comments