Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Bad

Taking work home
Fixation on school and school work
Worry about kids
Tendency to lose priorities
Time away from family
Pay

The Good

Mr. Coleman
Project Advance
Smart, motivated new teachers
Smart, energized veteran teachers
Improved Mr. Miller
Four Committees (Curriculum Policy, Advisory, Project Advance, Discipline)
Previous years' experience

August Mood

I haven't been stressed out since two weeks ago when I came back from a run and was miserable because school was coming up and Aric said, "So quit." And that gave me the perspective I needed. There are so many positives this year, I can't quit (and if I want to, I can quit at the end of the year, so I have a release valve.)

I am EXCITED and energized and hopeful about the school year! Our two days of PD were upbeat, the news teachers seem together and some even have experience! Mr Coleman is going to make HUGE changes, and it was so great to see the staff respond to him so postively. The ninth grade team really rocks--so organized, collaborative, open, and proactive that it's actually sorta scary. And Project Advance, though it's going to be hard, is also so exciting to me for the potential--to move kids ahead, to personalize lessons, to work with a great set of teachers--just gets me revved up. I think I can do work there that will help me with my NSRF certification, and really, it's the perfect set up for a book on Education. Here we are in the middle of NYC projects, working with kids who have not been able to get ahead in 2-3 years, and we might might might make a difference. I feel like it's so hard to make a difference, but when we're starting with such a low set of skills, it might actually be easier in a way.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Writing Awards and Competitions

Random House Creative Writing Competition for NYC Public High School Seniors

www.worldofexpression.org

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Must-Have Books for Teaching

The First Days of School, by Harry Wong.

Nonfiction Craft Lessons: Teaching Information Writing K-8, by Joann Portalupi and Ralph Fletcher. Stenhouse Publishers, 2001.

Fiction Craft Lessons: Teaching Fiction Writing K-8, by Joann Portalupi and Ralph Fletcher. Stenhouse Publishers, 2001.

When Students Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do, by Kylene Beers

History Alive! Engaging All Learners in the Diverse Classroom, Teachers' Curriculum Institute.

Response and Analysis, Second Edition: Teaching Literature in Secondary School, by Robert E. Probst.

I Read it But I Don’t Get It, by Chris Tovani

Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Reading in Literacy in the Lives of Young Men by Michael W Smith and Jeffrey D Wilhelm